AAA Fuel Gauge Report: Gas Prices Likely to Continue Dropping

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The national average price of a regular gallon of gasoline dropped to $3.57 as of Sept. 9, according to the latest AAA Fuel Gauge Report. This is 2 cents less than one week ago and 25 cents less than the same calendar day one year ago, but fractions of a penny more than a month ago.

The 25-cent year-over-year discount is the largest year-over-year disparity in more than four months, AAA stated.

Retail gas prices are likely to continue dropping through the fall due to plentiful supplies, continued weaker demand and the mid-September switch to winter-blend gasoline. Such a downward trend, however, could be reversed in the coming months if escalating violence in the Middle East, hurricanes or other unexpected disruptions to supply or distribution send prices at least temporarily higher.

Drivers in every state and Washington, D.C., are paying lower prices at the pump than they did one year ago, but the size of the year-over-year discount varies dramatically based on location, according to the report.

In Alaska, the average retail price is only fractions of a penny less than the same date last year, while nine states are paying at least 30 cents less: North Carolina (minus 32 cents), Arizona (32 cents), Georgia (32 cents), Washington (33 cents), Michigan (33 cents), South Carolina (34 cents), Virginia (34 cents), Oregon (34 cents) and Illinois (36 cents).