AAA says the national average price of a regular gallon increased 12 cents in the past two weeks.

The auto club said the average price per gallon of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline was about $2.42 Sunday. That’s about $1.27 less than it was a year ago.

The national average rose 35 cents during the month of February.

AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said the rising price of oil, which has had the biggest influence on pushing pump prices higher, fell back below $50 a barrel this week.

“Gas prices should not reach $3 a gallon this year, especially if the price of oil remains below $60 a barrel,” Jenkins said. “Gas prices will be relatively volatile in the coming months, but should decline by the summer following the end of maintenance season.”

On average, AAA said gas prices rise 30 to 50 cents during the spring because of refinery maintenance and the switch to summer-blend fuel, which is more expensive to produce.