Which States Are Pushing Record High Gas Prices Amid Russian Invasion

California set a new record for statewide average gas prices on Thursday and Hawaii is on track to do the same in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The overseas conflict has raised concerns amid already high costs at the pump in the U.S., with White House press secretary Jen Psaki telling reporters earlier this week that energy prices are likely to climb even higher. Russia is the third top oil producer in the world, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and its escalating military conflict with Ukraine has worried industry experts that potential disruptions to the energy supply chain could drive up costs.

On several occasions in recent weeks, California set new records for its statewide average cost for a single gallon of regular unleaded gas. California set another record on Thursday, with its statewide average cost rising to $4.771 per gallon. In some counties, gas prices reached $5.671 per gallon, according to data compiled by the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Hawaii also neared the record $4.618 per gallon it set nearly 10 years ago, according to AAA, with its statewide average cost hitting $4.542 on Thursday and some counties reporting prices as high as $4.785 per gallon.

A Newsweek analysis of AAA data compiled for all 50 states found California and Hawaii were the only states that either set or were near setting a new statewide record, though Nevada and Oregon cited costs within 30 cents of their records. Arizona, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington were between 30 and 40 cents away from record prices set in 2008.

Though most states are not currently on the brink of breaking records, nationwide gas price averages are on the rise, with Thursday's nationwide average cost of $3.543 per gallon of regular unleaded gas, which is about 88 cents above the nationwide average recorded this time last year. The current nationwide average cost is about 57 cents below the U.S. record, which was set in July 2008.

AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross told Newsweek earlier this week that it is difficult to predict exactly how much gas prices could continue to rise amid the military conflict overseas.

"It really depends on [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, to be honest," Gross said.

President Joe Biden said earlier this week that his administration will be keeping a close eye on potential disruptions to the energy supply chain and intended to limit the "pain" incurred through sanctions to the Russian economy.

"I want to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump," Biden said earlier this week. "This is critical to me."