LA Auto Club: Most Southern California Area Gas Prices Drop below $2 Per Gallon

LOS ANGELES--Jan. 14, 2005--Southern California has entered its third consecutive month of gasoline price drops after reaching record highs in October, with most major metropolitan areas falling below $2 a gallon this week, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

Southern California prices have not been this low since last February. The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $1.97 a gallon, which is 2.9 cents lower than last week, 21 cents lower than last month and 25 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $1.997, which is 3.1 cents lower than last week, 21 cents below last month and 27 cents above last year. On the Central Coast -- the highest-priced region in the state -- the average price is $2.101, which is down 2.3 cents from last week, 21 cents lower than last month and 29 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $1.982, which is down 2.5 cents from last week, 22 cents below last month and 27 cents above last year.

"The price decreases are slowing from their pace in December, when prices were often dropping by a penny a day," said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. "Prices are continuing to decrease, but gasoline supplies are expected to tighten in the coming weeks when refineries must switch to producing 'summer blend' gasoline, and that will likely end the downward trend."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Jan. 14, 2005.

Area                         Regular  Change from     Record Price
                                       last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach       $1.970   -2.9 cents   $2.446 (10/21/2004)

Orange County                $1.947   -2.9 cents   $2.441 (10/23/2004)

San Diego                    $1.997   -3.1 cents   $2.464 (10/21/2004)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                      $2.101   -2.3 cents   $2.570 (10/22/2004)

Riverside-San Bernardino     $1.982   -2.5 cents   $2.461 (10/21/2004)

Bakersfield                  $1.980   -1.5 cents   $2.437 (10/23/2004)

Las Vegas                    $1.854   -1.3 cents   $2.290 (10/20/2004)