Volatile Florida gas prices 2 cents per gallon higher than last week

Gas prices in Florida fluctuated a lot over the past week before settling at a rate 2 cents per gallon more than they were a week ago.

The state average dropped 8 cents last week, jumped 13 cents midweek and dipped another 3 cents through the weekend.

On Sunday, the state average was $3.10 per gallon, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group. That’s 10 cents higher than a month ago, but 31 cents lower than this time last year.

The price at the pump in the Sunshine State has moved within a 31-cent window since September, ranging from $2.92 per gallon to $3.23. That price pattern parallels oil market trends, according to AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins.

“While gas prices may shift from week to week, overall they tend to follow a relatively steady pattern,” he said in a statement.

“As long as oil prices remain stable, drivers can expect pump prices to stay within their current range.”

The most affordable metropolitan market for Florida motorists is the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area, where drivers and motorcyclists are paying an average $2.84 per gallon, followed by Panama City and Pensacola, which both have average per-gallon gas prices of $2.89.

The priciest market is the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area, where gas costs $3.25 per gallon on average, followed by Naples ($.3.18) and Ocala ($3.16).

Nationally, the cheapest gas is in Mississippi ($2.70), while California and Hawaii are tied for having the priciest petrol at $4.48 per gallon.