Matthew C. Keegan asked:
As autumn weather spreads across the lower forty-eight states, gas prices and temperatures seem to be dropping in unison. After pushing above $4 per gallon early in the summer, prices have been gradually retreating and have dropped to below $3 per gallon in some places. This is good news for drivers who have been especially squeezed at the pump all year.
But, not all areas are feeling the effects of lower gas prices, particularly in some parts of the Southeast which were hit hard by pipeline shutdowns due to Hurricane Ike in September. In Raleigh, the average price of a gallon of regular gas is still about $3.89, while in Corpus Christi prices are now average a full dollar less at $2.89 per gallon. Indeed, outside of Alaska and Hawaii – two states which consistently charge the highest rates – cities like Charlotte, Atlanta, and Durham are paying the most for gas.
Since peaking around $150 for a barrel of oil this past summer, price have dropped below the $100 per barrel level and seem to be heading even lower. A recent spike in prices in late September due to the economic meltdown have eased, suggesting that prices will eventually drop below $90 per barrel. With the meltdown, US consumption continues to drop, further pushing prices downward.
Yet, it is the Southeast which is having the most difficult time seeing lower prices, thanks in part to disruptions from Hurricane Ike which whacked the Texas coast in September. A major pipeline from Texas that serves the Carolinas and Georgia was cut off, forcing gas stations to shut down or ration out what they had. To this day, many independent gas stations are without fuel, waiting for supplies to be restored which should happen later this week. Once gas has been made widely available, then prices will begin to drop, perhaps by 50 cents or more almost immediately, before settling below $3 per gallon this winter.
Top and Bottom 5 Cities
The following lists, supplied by information gleaned from GasBuddy.com, reflects the top five and bottom five cities price wise:
Top 5
Corpus Christi 2.889
Oklahoma City 2.948
Kansas City 2.998
Des Moines 3.020
Tulsa 3.053
Bottom 5
Raleigh 3.891
Charlotte 3.902
Atlanta 3.945
Anchorage 3.994
Honolulu 4.007
Clearly, the price advantage can be found in the middle of the country while the Southeast, Hawaii, and Alaska continue to pay the highest prices in the nation.
As autumn weather spreads across the lower forty-eight states, gas prices and temperatures seem to be dropping in unison. After pushing above $4 per gallon early in the summer, prices have been gradually retreating and have dropped to below $3 per gallon in some places. This is good news for drivers who have been especially squeezed at the pump all year.
But, not all areas are feeling the effects of lower gas prices, particularly in some parts of the Southeast which were hit hard by pipeline shutdowns due to Hurricane Ike in September. In Raleigh, the average price of a gallon of regular gas is still about $3.89, while in Corpus Christi prices are now average a full dollar less at $2.89 per gallon. Indeed, outside of Alaska and Hawaii – two states which consistently charge the highest rates – cities like Charlotte, Atlanta, and Durham are paying the most for gas.
Since peaking around $150 for a barrel of oil this past summer, price have dropped below the $100 per barrel level and seem to be heading even lower. A recent spike in prices in late September due to the economic meltdown have eased, suggesting that prices will eventually drop below $90 per barrel. With the meltdown, US consumption continues to drop, further pushing prices downward.
Yet, it is the Southeast which is having the most difficult time seeing lower prices, thanks in part to disruptions from Hurricane Ike which whacked the Texas coast in September. A major pipeline from Texas that serves the Carolinas and Georgia was cut off, forcing gas stations to shut down or ration out what they had. To this day, many independent gas stations are without fuel, waiting for supplies to be restored which should happen later this week. Once gas has been made widely available, then prices will begin to drop, perhaps by 50 cents or more almost immediately, before settling below $3 per gallon this winter.
Top and Bottom 5 Cities
The following lists, supplied by information gleaned from GasBuddy.com, reflects the top five and bottom five cities price wise:
Top 5
Corpus Christi 2.889
Oklahoma City 2.948
Kansas City 2.998
Des Moines 3.020
Tulsa 3.053
Bottom 5
Raleigh 3.891
Charlotte 3.902
Atlanta 3.945
Anchorage 3.994
Honolulu 4.007
Clearly, the price advantage can be found in the middle of the country while the Southeast, Hawaii, and Alaska continue to pay the highest prices in the nation.
