Gas prices show first drop in 3 months

Dropping by 2 cents on the week, the national gas price average is $2.95, marking the first decrease in the national average since mid-March.

AAA made the announcement Monday.

“Nearly 80 percent of Americans say the price of gasoline is too high at $3 per gallon,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA gas price expert. “So it’s welcome news for motorists to see gas price averages decrease in 33 states on the week.

“Crude oil prices are falling, but it likely won’t be enough to drop gas prices more significantly this summer,” she said.

The national gas price average ($2.95) is 13-cents more than one month ago and 57-cents more than the beginning of June 2017.

The average price in Nevada stood at 3.33. In Pahrump on Monday, prices ranged from $2.93 to $3, a survey by gasbuddy.com showed.

Drivers in the West Coast region, AAA said, are paying some of the highest gas prices in the country: California ($3.73), Hawaii ($3.71), Washington ($3.47), Alaska ($3.41), Oregon (3.35), Nevada ($3.33) and Arizona ($3.06). On the week, most gas prices in the region are flat, with Alaska and Arizona seeing the largest increases at 2 cents each.

On the week, the majority of states saw decreases or prices holding steady, while those that saw prices jump were mostly West Coast and Rockies states.

Crude prices fell at the end of last week because the dollar gained amid news of continued growth in the total number of jobs across the country.

Baker Hughes Inc. reported that the U.S. added two oil rigs last week, bringing the total to 861. The total is up by 128 rigs when compared to last year at this time.