Gas prices are on the rise.

The average price of gas in western Pennsylvania sits at $3.77 this week, according to AAA East Central data released on Monday.

That’s up three cents from Jan. 17 and 27 cents from a year ago.

The average price in Warren — $3.79 — is nearly 40 cents higher than the national average.

“Drivers appear to be taking advantage of the recent milder weather in much of the nation by fueling up and hitting the road,” AAA said in its report.

That demand — plus “slightly more expensive oil” pushed the national average up 12 cents over last week to $3.42, which marks a 33 cent increase over a month ago.

The highest price listed in western Pennsylvania can be found in Mercer at $3.82 and Beaver at $3.80. All the others fell in the $3.70s.

Data from the Energy Information Administration shows an increased demand of nearly 500,000 barrels.

Also, per AAA, West Texas Intermediate crude rose $.98 cents at the end of trading on Friday.

“Crude prices rose at the end of last week due to increased market optimism that crude demand may be more robust than expected this year,” AAA says in its analysis. “In particular, the market believes that the re-opening of China’s economy, despite high coronavirus infection rates, will help to bolster global crude demand, while supporting elevated prices.”