(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Gas prices in Ketchikan are well above Alaska's average price of $2.63 per gallon. As of January 24, 2015, unleaded gas at Ketchikan's Safeway was $3.46 with premium gas prices at $3.66. Before the drop in prices, Ketchikan prices were in the $4.43 per gallon for unleaded range.

Average retail gasoline prices in Alaska are reported to have fallen 15.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.63 per gallon yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 398 gas outlets in Alaska. This compares with the national average that has fallen 2.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.02 per gallon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

"Welcome back, $1.99... This is the week that the lower 48 see the return to a national average of $1.99 per gallon - but motorists shouldn't expect it to last very long. Refineries have been processing less crude oil and thus producing less gasoline, which will contribute to a soft bottoming out of the national average before a small recovery back in the very low $2's," said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. "And while this year will still feature far lower prices than last year, we'll be subject to a seasonal lift in gasoline prices as refineries slow production to do maintenance and to make the progressive switch over to cleaner burning summer gasoline. Last year's lift began the second week of February and saw the upward trend last until the beginning of May, during which, the national average saw a rise of 35 cents a gallon. This year we're expecting a similar rise, though the previous few years the rise has averaged 30-65 cents per gallon," DeHaan noted.

"On the diesel side of things, price drops have continued to outpace drops in gasoline prices. Diesel prices dropped an average 7 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.835 per gallon. By the start of February, diesel will fall under $2.80 per gal, and by Valentines Day, they'll fall to $2.65 per gal, a sweetheart deal for consumers and trucking companies that have seen diesel prices lag behind gasoline prices," DeHaan predicted.

On January 24th, the price of diesel at the Ketchikan Safeway was $3.92 per gallon.

Some quick gasoline price statistics as of Monday morning:

• Missouri has the lowest state average in the country; at $1.79 today, it is one of 27 states averaging under $2.00/gal.
• There is only one state averaging above $3.00 per gal today: Hawaii ($3.27). There are towns and cities in Alaska averaging about $3.00 per gallon still.
• In the lower 48 states, California has the highest average at $2.45, followed by New York at $2.42.
• Every state has a lower average today than the same day last year. Ohio, at $1.89 today, has seen the biggest drop from the same day last year, down $1.40 from its January 26, 2014 average.
• Only one state has an average less than $1.00 lower than last year: Hawaii (76cts lower).
• There are only three states that don’t have a single station reporting a price under $2.00/gal:

1. Vermont (lowest station reporting at $2.05)
2. Alaska (lowest station reporting at $2.29)
3. Hawaii (lowest station reporting at $2.73)

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

GasBuddy.com
www.gasbuddy.com

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Ketchikan, Alaska

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