RENO -- Record gasoline prices in Nevada are hardly out of the ordinary these days.

But what is stunning is that every day since the first of May has marked a record over the day before, AAA Nevada reports.

The midmonth average of $3.21 a gallon marks a 52-cent increase from April 11.

"Except for words like shocking and staggering, it's difficult to describe what consumers have gone through this past month with gas prices," AAA Nevada spokesman Michael Geeser said. "This is a tough pill for consumers to swallow. When you consider one year ago Nevadans, on average, were paying 75 cents less, that's a steep increase."

The pain at the pump is least in Elko, where $3.02 a gallon is up 52 cents. The least pleasant prices are in Reno and Sparks at $3.29, up 51 cents in Reno and 52 cents in Sparks from a month ago. Carson City's average is $3.24, up 50 cents, and Las Vegas is up 51 cents to $3.15

The national average is $2.93 a gallon, up 24 cents.

Geeser said the worst should be over, even with the approach of Memorial Day and the traditional start of the summertime driving season.

"At this point almost every refinery has completed the switch to an ethanol fuel additive from MTBE, which was helping to push gas prices higher," he said.

But he added that post-Memorial Day demand frequently moves the cost a few cents higher at the pump.

"But how high, and how much will American motorists cut back on driving this summer, remains to be seen," he said.