Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Downward Rapidly For Sixth Straight Week

Most Southern California areas saw one-week gas price decreases of about 20 cents or more a gallon as pump prices continued plummeting for the sixth straight week, according to the Auto Club's Weekend Gas Watch. Today's statewide average for a gallon of regular gasoline is $5.63, which is 20 cents lower than last week and 94 cents higher than at this time last year. The national average is $3.90, which is 20 cents lower than last week and 83 cents higher than on this date last year.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $5.70 per gallon, which is 21 cents lower than last week and 84 cents higher than a year ago. In San Diego, the average price is $5.77, which is 17 cents less than last week and 86 cents higher than this time last year.

In Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, the average price is $5.72, which is 23 cents below last week and 96 cents higher than a year ago. In Riverside, the average price per gallon is $5.48, 23 cents lower than last week and 76 cents higher than a year ago. In Bakersfield, the $5.83 average is 18 cents lower than last week and $1.21 higher than one year ago.

"Oil prices remain well under $100 a barrel and we are in the time of year when gasoline demand typically drops along with pump prices," said Auto Club spokesperson Kandace Redd. "If Southern California pump price drops continue, Thanksgiving holiday travelers will be paying about the same for gas as they did over the Independence Day holiday, when the statewide average price was $5.40 a gallon."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Nov. 5, averages are: