WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Drivers are seeing some relief at the pump after a record-setting September.
AAA reports the average gallon of gas in Whatcom County currently costs about $5.30.
That’s down roughly nine cents from last week, as Whatcom remains the ninth-cheapest county in the state for gas.
Skagit County also saw a modest drop to $5.27 per gallon on average.
Diesel prices have also dropped across both counties in recent days after reaching an all-time high last week. It comes as part of a broader trend, as average gas and diesel prices fell in 48 states over the past week.
GasBuddy head petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan attributes the drop in prices to increased oil shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
“For now, declines may continue in a majority of states, though some price-cycling markets are at risk of an upward swing in gas prices in the days ahead,” De Haan said in a news release. “While oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are rising, refineries behind the Strait are not yet fully able to move products through, keeping gasoline and diesel prices elevated relative to what crude oil levels alone might suggest.”
The average price of regular gas is still nearly a dollar more expensive that the same time last year in both Whatcom and Skagit counties, while diesel is over two dollars higher.
