BATON ROUGE - The average cost of gas in the Baton Rouge area has eclipsed the record previously set nearly 14 years ago.

On Wednesday, AAA reported the average fuel price in the capital area—and across Louisiana—is now higher than it was in 2008, when the the United States was entering a recession.

The average cost of regular gas in the Baton Rouge area was at $4.067 per gallon Wednesday. That's up from $2.486 one year ago and $3.213 just a month ago.

Louisiana as a whole also set a new record-high average Wednesday, up to $4.037 per gallon. The average cost of diesel—both in Baton Rouge and statewide—is also nearing the record set in 2008.

Experts have pointed to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine—among other factors—as a driving force behind the sudden jump in fuel costs. President Biden also announced Tuesday the U.S. plans to halt all imports of Russian oil because of the conflict, which is expected to inflate costs even further. 

The skyrocketing prices are also likely to have a knock-on effect in other markets, potentially making day-to-day expenses like groceries more costly as well.