CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – We’re seeing prices spike at the pump heading into the New Year, but Triple-A says it’s only temporary. Triple-A MidAtlantic’s Morgan Dean said the polar blast over the Christmas holiday plummeted temperatures and interrupted refinery processes during the week. It happened as demand was up due to holiday driving, and oil prices that had been in the 70-dollar range rose into the 80s. However, Dean says they expect prices to begin dropping again as refining gets back up to speed.

Virginia’s average is 3.12-a-gallon… up 16 cents from a week ago, down 16 cents from a month ago, and 3-cents less than this time last year.

Charlottesville’s average is 3.17… up 16 cents in a week, down 20 cents from last month, and about same price as this day last year.