MADISON, Wis. -- Gas prices in the Madison area have increased in the last three weeks, and some are wondering what's behind the jump in price.

A viewer from Waunakee noticed that gas prices in the area have jumped more than 30 cents in the last two weeks and asked WISC-TV to look into the reason for the hike.

At a gas station on Madison's West Side, gas was at $2.67 a gallon Tuesday.

Erin Roth, from the Wisconsin Petroleum Council, said the price increase people are noticing has very little to do with supply and demand

There has been a small increase in demand, but Roth said the bigger issue has to do with oil futures and how traders are banking on an improving global economy.

"We've seen the Asian markets start to rebound in the second quarter -- and there's speculation by people much smarter than I that the economy is starting to turn around slowly, and they are forecasting that in the spring, that we're going to see a better economy than we see today," Roth said.

So, Roth said the good news is that people are seeing the U.S. recovering from the economic downturn, but there are also worries that if gas prices rise too much, too quickly, it will cripple the nation's recovery effort.

But that's not in the forecasts. Roth said all indications point toward crude oil hovering where it is today, right around $80 a barrel, through the spring.

Drivers are still paying less than they were last year -- $2.65 a gallon today compared to $2.93 a gallon a year ago.