SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. As the price of crude oil marches toward the once unthinkable level of $100 a barrel, California drivers find themselves paying more than they ever have for a fill-up during the month of November - typically the cheapest time of the year.

The South Bay average hit $3.39 a gallon Wednesday, more than a buck higher than last November and almost double the $1.70 a gallon motorists paid this month four years ago. The cost of a fill-up has jumped 49 cents a gallon in the past nine weeks. Where will it stop? Read Article