CHICAGO, Illinois - January 5, 2011 - Three dollars a gallon for gasoline may start to sound good by comparison this summer. With rising global demand for oil, gas could reach $4 a gallon in the coming months in some states, according to fuel forecasters.

That means flying, shipping a package and ordering a pizza could all grow more expensive as companies pass along their higher energy costs. Over time, those higher fuel prices will work their way into almost all consumer goods, from groceries to clothing, as items travel by truck, train or plane before reaching the store.

For a few months, the price will likely stay stable or drop a bit from $3 per gallon as people come off their longer holiday trips and hunker down in the winter, said Jessica Brady, spokeswoman for AAA in Tampa. "Once we hit spring," she added, "you'll see those prices for crude oil and retail gas prices (rise)."

Average gas prices in Florida have been rising in recent weeks, topping $3 for regular last month. The state tends to hover right around the national average, Brady said. But with a relatively weak U.S. dollar, the relative price of crude oil is higher.