Gas prices in Southern California are continuing to back down slowly after reaching record high points in some areas, according to the Auto Club’s Weekend Gas Watch. The average price for self-serve regular gasoline in California is $4.68, which is two cents lower than last week and three cents below the all-time record price of $4.71 reached in late November. The average national price is $3.34, which is down four cents from a week ago.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.69 per gallon, which is one cent lower than last week, 10 cents higher than last month, $1.54 higher than last year, and three cents lower than the all-time record price of $4.72 set Nov. 27. In San Diego, the average price is $4.64, which is down two cents from last week, nine cents higher than last month, $1.49 higher than last year, and eight cents below its all-time record price reached in 2012.
On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.63, which is one cent lower than last Thursday, 10 cents higher than last month, $1.43 higher than last year, and seven cents below the record. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $4.62, which is one cent lower than last Thursday, 10 cents higher than last month, $1.51 higher than last year and six cents below the record. In Bakersfield, the $4.63 average price is two cents below last Thursday, six cents higher than last month, $1.52 higher than a year ago today and three cents lower than the record price reached on Monday.
“Lower oil prices are continuing to bring down prices at the pump, but the decreases through the end of the year will likely not prevent 2021 from being the most expensive gas price year ever for Southern California drivers,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “The year-to-date annual average price for Los Angeles drivers is $4.15 a gallon for regular unleaded, and in San Diego the year-to-date average price is $4.12.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Dec. 9, averages are: