How hot, hot weather can make gasoline more expensive.

I'm David Brancaccio.

Gas prices are creeping up again.

The oil producers Cartel OPEC plus has been curbing production, but also the hot weather

has been hurting refineries.

The automobile association puts the national average up 7% from one month ago.

Here's Marketplace's Nancy Marshall-Genzer.

Our summer heat waves is affecting the refineries that turn oil into gasoline.

We aren't designed to operate at very high temperatures above 95 degrees.

Many U.S. refineries are in some of the hottest places in the country, Texas and Louisiana,

with average temperatures of at least 95 degrees, so they've been forced to dial back production.

Refineries can also be damaged or even closed because of hurricanes.

Hurricane season won't end until this fall, and the ocean is warmer than usual this summer,

and water fuels hurricanes, making them stronger and bigger.

Of course, the price of oil has the biggest impact on the cost of gas.

AAA says it accounts for almost 50% of the price at the pump, and the national average

is about $3.82 a gallon.

OPEC is cutting back on production in an effort to push prices up even more.

I'm Nancy Marshall-Genzer, for Marketplace.

Experts are expecting another solid, but not crazy.

A lot report on hiring and steady unemployment when the official numbers for July come out

tomorrow morning.

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