Florida gas prices drop to lowest since January — then bounce back up

Gas prices in Florida briefly dipped below $2.99 per gallon last week, the lowest average price point since Jan. 22, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group.

Then they rocketed back up to $3.12 per gallon by Monday morning. The state average was 3 cents more than last week.

AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins predicted per-gallon prices will again drop below $3 based on seasonal trends.

“Florida gas prices don’t hold still very long,” he said in a prepared statement.

“Gas prices typically move lower through the Winter months, because of cold weather, lower demand, and gasoline supply gains. These factors will help push gasoline back below $3 a gallon this month.”

Meanwhile, domestic crude oil prices dropped 1% from the week before, AAA said, while gasoline futures declined 4 cents.

The most expensive gas was again in the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area, where motorists Monday morning shelled out an average of $3.26 for a regular gallon of gas, followed by Naples ($3.19) and Homosassa Springs ($3.18).

The cheapest gas was in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area, where the average pump price was $2.75 per gallon, followed by Panama City ($2.78) and Pensacola ($2.89).

Florida’s gas prices exceed the national average of $3.02 per gallon. States with the most affordable gas included Oklahoma ($2.49), Texas ($2.60) and Mississippi ($2.61). The highest prices were in Hawaii ($4.54), California ($4.37) and Washington ($3.97).