NEW YORK, January 27, 2026, 07:03 EST — Premarket
U.S. pump prices nudged up Tuesday, with the national average for regular gasoline hitting $2.888 a gallon, a rise of just 0.7 cent from Monday, according to AAA data. That’s about 6.6 cents higher than last week, yet still roughly 23 cents cheaper than this time last year and nowhere near the $5.016 peak seen in June 2022.
The change is slight, yet significant since gasoline prices hit consumers quickly. A steady uptick can push up short-term inflation measures and squeeze discretionary budgets, particularly for lower-income families.
On the supply front, refinery disruptions can quickly tighten spot availability in certain areas. Typically, pump prices trail wholesale shifts with a delay.
On Tuesday morning, NYMEX RBOB gasoline futures—the key U.S. benchmark for wholesale gasoline pricing—hovered near $1.8417 per gallon, slipping 1.67% from Monday, according to data from Investing.com. RBOB, a blendstock essential in producing finished gasoline, typically sees its futures prices move ahead of retail gasoline rates by several days or even weeks.
Crude prices edged higher Tuesday as a significant winter storm disrupted U.S. production and hit Gulf Coast refineries, Reuters reported. Brent rose 23 cents to $65.82 a barrel, while U.S. WTI climbed 29 cents to $60.92 by 1017 GMT. Analysts and traders put the U.S. output loss over the weekend at as much as 2 million barrels per day. Gains were limited, however, by a return of supply from Kazakhstan.
Patrick De Haan from GasBuddy pointed to rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions hitting gas pumps. He noted “new sanctions on Iran’s oil” are “tightening supply,” warning the freeze could disrupt refinery operations and reduce output. Houston Chronicle
The market’s next big test arrives Wednesday with the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s weekly petroleum report. Traders will focus on gasoline “stocks”—the inventories tucked away in storage—as well as refinery runs, searching for signals that the storm has started draining barrels from the system. U.S. Energy Information Administration
There’s a catch. Harsh weather can slow driving and weaken demand, partly easing any supply crunch. If Gulf Coast plants bounce back quickly, wholesale prices could ease before any impact hits retail.
The immediate focus is on the EIA report due January 28, along with new insights into the pace at which producers and refineries bounce back from the storm.
