MISSOULA – State and national gas price averages have been dropping slowly over the last week, but the automotive group AAA says it isn’t likely to be a long-term trend.
The national average shed almost 5¢ this week to land at just under $2.80 a gallon for regular. Prices in Montana have shed 2¢ to just under $3 a gallon.
At this time last year, the average price in Montana was about $2.57 a gallon.
Delaware and South Carolina hold the lowest average price for the lower 48 states at just under $2.502 a gallon while California holds the highest at $3.76 a gallon.
AAA Montana spokesperson Michelle Donati says that gas prices will likely increase ahead of the November 4 Iran sanctions announcement and the mid-term elections.
She adds, how expensive gas prices will be, depends on how the market reacts to the these events.