Connecticut on Thursday topped California as the state on the continental U.S. with the highest average price for regular gasoline: $4.03 a gallon, according to AAA.

California's price comes in at $3.81, and Hawaii's beats both at more than $4.06 a gallon. Connecticut's price even tops Alaska, which like Hawaii is typically one of the highest in the nation. Alaska on Thursday was just under Connecticut at $4.02 a gallon, according to AAA.

GasBuddy, an online gas price tracker based in Brooklyn Park, Minn., offered comparable numbers reflecting the same trend, with California at $3.79 and Connecticut at just under $4.02 per gallon. GasBuddy recalculates its figures every 15 minutes based on information averaged from price spotters.

"Just like Alaska and Hawaii are among the highest, California is typically right there and for the first time in recent memory Connecticut is perched at the top," said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy's senior petroleum analyst. "It's pretty rare to see California not among the top."

DeHaan said the reason Connecticut has leapt ahead is because supply in California is more robust than it is here.

"Refineries on the East Coast simply aren't producing as much gasoline as they are in other markets," he said. "It's not necessarily pushing up prices, but it's not helping them go down like it is in California."