WASHINGTON – A road trip this summer could be cheaper than last year, according to analysts who say the recent gas price decline could continue through the summer.
Gas prices nationally have dropped 28 cents in the past eight weeks to $3.51 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
AAA predicts the average price for a gallon of gasoline to dip below $3.50 in the next few weeks, and could go as low as $3.33 per gallon by the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Currently prices for the D.C. area above the national average at $3.55 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.
John Townsend, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, says prices this year have been unusual.
“Remember that we had a huge surge early in the winter, in the early part of the year. Normally that occurs around springtime,” says Townsend.
He says the higher prices this winter lowered demand, which caused prices to drop during a time of the year when prices typically go up.
In addition to low demand, domestic production has increased and crude prices have been lower, according to AAA.
| Current | Week Ago | Year Ago | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. Metro | $3.55 | $3.58 | $3.93 |
| D.C. Only | $3.78 | $3.82 | $4.02 |
| National | $3.51 | $3.52 | $3.82 |
WTOP’s Hank Silverberg contributed to this report. Follow @hsilverbergWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter.
