NEW YORK—Gas prices set new records March 2 in Nevada and West Virginia, reported USA Today. According to AAA, the nationwide average was $1.705 for a gallon of unleaded regular—3.2 cents under the record set last August.

“We’re concerned about prices going so high this early in the year,” said Geoff Sundstrom, spokesman for AAA. “Our sense is that, for the short term, prices are going to continue going up.”

Fear of gasoline shortages and rising crude oil prices is one reason for rising gas prices. Petroleum traders had a shortage scare after a Feb. 21 shipping accident that disrupted trading on the Mississippi River and in the Gulf of Mexico. “A few stations around Tampa ran out of unleaded, and the terminals were nearly out, but it was a matter of hours” until supplies normalized, said Tom Kloza, oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service.

According to a recent U.S. Energy Information Administration report: “Gasoline inventories are below the normal range for this time of year, meaning that should problems occur, there is little available supply immediately on hand either to meet increased demand or to respond to refinery, pipeline or other infrastructure problems that may occur.”