Egg prices and shortages escalate at Northeast Ohio grocery stores

The big picture: A dozen large eggs in the Midwest hit an "unprecedented" $6.07 in early January, surpassing the previous record of $5.46 set in December 2022, according to price-reporting service Expana.

State of the (local) shelves: I visited some of the top grocery stores in the Cleveland area this week to check the prices.

By the numbers: On the lower end, a carton of large eggs at Walmart cost $4.17, while Giant Eagle had them for as low as $4.59.

• The downtown Cleveland Heinen's location offered them as low as $4.79.
• Organic ($5.85 at Aldi) or pasture-raised ($7.49 at Target) will set you back even more.

Threat level: The situation is also leading to shortages locally and across the nation.

• The cheapest cartons advertised at some local retailers were sold out or in low supply as of Tuesday.

What they're saying: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are experiencing supply issues with fresh eggs," Heinen's website reads.

• "Due to these supply challenges, you may experience more substitutions or out of stock eggs than normal."

Driving the shortage: A combination of the bird flu outbreak and facility fires led to the loss of about 40 million egg-laying hens across the country last year — with 43% of the total losses in November and December, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Plus: High demand over the holiday baking season played a role in both availability and cost, experts say.

Go deeper: What to know about eating eggs as bird flu spreads.