Gas prices fall below $2 per gallon

Average retail gasoline prices in Nebraska have fallen 2.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $1.97 per gallon yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 1,150 gas outlets in Nebraska. This compares with the national average that has fallen 1.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $1.99 per gallon, according to gasoline price website gasbuddy.com.

Areas nearby Nebraska and their current gas price climate:

Lincoln - $2.10 per gallon, down 1.2 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.11 per gallon.

South Dakota - $1.92 per gallon, down 5.6 cents per gallon from last week’s $1.97 per gallon.

Omaha- $1.95 per gallon, down 3.8 cents per gallon from last week’s $1.98 per gallon.

Including the change in gas prices in Nebraska during the past week, prices yesterday were 36.5 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 16.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 8.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 39.4 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

“With the national average price of gas slipping below $2 on Saturday, the holiday season continues to reward most consumers at the pump, but the Grinch turned up in California replacing price declines with price spikes,” said Gregg Laskoski, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. “California’s hikes tie directly to issues at two refineries with combined capacity exceeding 400,000 barrels per day. Consequently, California’s average price has climbed by 8 cents per gallon while the rest of the country for the most part sees declines,” Laskoski said.

For a complete listing of current averages and other fuel price data, visit http://media.gasbuddy.com. For fuel news and alerts, follow @GasBuddyNews on Twitter.