So isn't it odd that now that the elections are over

[onenote]

56. Demand for gasoline is lower in the winter months than in the spring and summer.

Yes, there is a spike in travel around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it doesn't compare to the spike that occurs starting with Memorial Day and running through Labor Day -- lots of people traveling for vacations all through those months.

And we're only talking about gasoline prices -- not oil heating. It's hardly a shock that demand -- and the price for -- heating oil goes up in the winter compared to the summer.

There are other factors that regularly impact the price of gasoline on a seasonal basis. For example, the EPA defines April to June as the “transition season” for fuel production. Refineries lead this transition and switch over to summer-blend production in March and April.

Gasoline blends used in the summer months are different than the blends used in the winter. There are also more fuels to produce during the transition season. In the winter months, only a few fuels are used across the United States. However, because of various state or regional requirements, over a dozen different fuel specifications are required for the summer months. Refineries must produce enough for each area to ensure there are no supply shortages, and that can complicate the production and distribution of fuels.
Finally, summer-blend fuel is also more expensive to make than winter-blend fuel. First, the production process takes longer and, second, the overall yield of gasoline per barrel of oil is lower. These complexities add as much as 15 cents per gallon to the cost to produce these higher-grade fuels.

It's a far more complex market than most people understand. And that's not taking into account the impact of other events -- wars, natural disasters, refinery accidents, OPEC's ups and downs, etc.