New York (AP) -- It's going to cost you even more for a fill-up Thursday at Ohio stations.

AAA Thursday morning puts the price of gas at $3.89 for a gallon of regular in Ohio. Premium is a whopping $4.31. Both are slightly higher than the national averages.

That about 71 cents a gallon higher than this time last year. And the price is expected to climb at least until the Memorial Day weekend.

The energy department forecast recently that prices would top out next month at an average of $3.73 a gallon. Many analysts now expert the national average to hit $4 a gallon in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the price of crude oil Thursday has steadied above $124 a barrel. Crude prices slipped from record highs following a mixed report from the government Wednesday on U.S. petroleum reserves.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)