It must be spring at last — gas prices shoot up all over town like dandelions and crabgrass

Kamloops motorists were hit with a jolt of gas-price shock again today as the price per litre jumped several cents and came close to busting the 1.40 barrier.

As of late this afternoon, most stations were charging 1.39.9 a litre. The lowest in town appeared to be Costco at 1.33.9, while a few others were at 1.34.9 and some at 1.37.9. The TomorrowsGasPriceToday.com website predicted prices would remain stable through Thursday.

And according to GasBuddy.com, Kelowna car owners were paying 1.39.9 today pretty much everywhere, while in Prince George there was a range between 1.29.9 wall the way to 1.45.9.

Across B.C. prices had remained level at about 1.35.9 until two weeks ago but began rising steadily until hitting the mid 1.40s today. Vancouver, which has a municipal gas tax, was ranging up to 1.43.9. The TomorrowsGas PriceToday website predicted a leap to 1.51.7 in Vancouver by Thursday.

B.C.’s experience is being duplicated across the country, with Montrealers paying 1.53 today, the highest in Canada.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Dan McTeague, founder of TomorrowsGasPriceToday.com, told CBC. “These prices are not sustainable for the middle class or anybody else.”

Phil Flynn, the senior market analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago, said, “We call that spring.”