Retail gas prices are slowly receding as the South and Southeast states recover from Harvey and Irma.
This week 46 states including Oregon are reporting lower prices than a week ago. But pump prices remain near year-to-date highs and the highest prices since August 2015. For the week, the national average for regular unleaded slips a penny to $2.66 while the Oregon average ticks down two cents to $2.92.
“Major gas price hikes appear to be in the rearview mirror as refineries, pipelines and gasoline deliveries resume more normal operations,” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. “Still, drivers can expect volatile prices over the next couple of weeks, as demand remains significant in the wake of the storms.”
Oregon is one of 46 states where prices decreased in the last week. The largest drop is in Indiana (-17 cents). The largest increase is in Alaska (+4 cents).
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have higher prices now than a month ago. The largest monthly increases are in Georgia (+50 cents), Florida (+45 cents) and South Carolina (+44 cents). Oregon has one of the lowest monthly increases — the 45th largest in the country — at 12 cents. The national average is 28 cents more than a month ago.
The West Coast continues to have the most expensive gas prices in the nation. For the third week in a row, California tops the list, with Hawaii, Washington, Alaska and Oregon rounding out the top five most expensive states. Alaska becomes the fourth state to have an average at or above $3 per gallon. Oregon is fifth most expensive for the 12th week in a row.
