The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped 1 cent Sunday to $6.313, two days after the end of a 44-day streak of increases that brought it within 4.4 cents of its all-time record.
The average price is 2.6 cents more than one week ago, 57.2 cents more than one month ago and $1.71 more than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has increased $1.762 since the start of the joint U.S./Israel war on Iran on Feb. 28, which sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump.
The record Riverside County average price is $6.373 set Oct. 5, 2022.
Analysts predicted that California gas prices would begin dropping slightly after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement last Monday that cheaper winter-blend gasoline will be allowed to be sold immediately in California gas stations.
The national average price dropped for the ninth consecutive day, decreasing 1.1 cents to $4.369. It has dropped 12.2 cents over the past nine days, including 1.6 cents Saturday. The national average price is 11 cents less than one week ago, but 22.2 cents more than one month ago and $1.229 more than one year ago. It has increased $1.387 since the attack on Iran.
“Crude oil prices have dipped back into the $90 per barrel range, lowering the national average, but overall gas prices remain the highest they’ve ever been for this time of year,” the AAA said Thursday.