Gas prices are expected to rise during holiday weekends, but this year’s Labor Day price bump reportedly turned into a ramp. In the past two weeks ending Friday, the national average regular gas price crept up 5.76 cents to $3.667 per gallon. The increase echoes the rise in the cost of crude oil, and an ethanol price rise also was a factor.

Bloomberg reports the western part of the country suffered the bulk of the price increases. Despite lower overall demand from a year ago, gas prices are 36 percent higher than they were at this time in 2010.

Gas prices up nearly 6 cents a gallon [Bloomberg via The Seattle Times]

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