Gasoline prices continue post-Harvey decline

The average retail price of gasoline fell another 4 cents per gallon last week to settle at $2.69 on Sunday.

In the Kingston-Ulster area, most gas stations were selling 87-octane unleaded for about $2.47 per gallon Monday afternoon, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

“Gas prices have today entered their fourth straight week of declining nationally, a trend unlikely to be interrupted by Hurricane Nate over this past weekend,” said Patrick DeHaan, a senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. “Gasoline supply has continued to improve, and as temperatures begin to feel more fall like, demand for fuel will continue to decline.

Hurricane Nate, a fastmoving storm, did little to disrupt the flow of fuel to market while having a larger impact on oil rigs,” DeHaan said. “However, the nation continues to be awash in crude oil, so the storm mattered little to oil prices. Look for relief to continue in most of the country. …

“Nationally, prices still stand about 15 cents per gallon higher than their pre[Hurricane] Harvey level, but the gap will continue to slow as prices slowly trickle down,” he said.

New York state’s average gas price Sunday was 11.3 cents lower than a month earlier but 35.3 cents higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy.

The national average Sundy was $2.47 per gallon, down 6 cents from a week earlier and 19.3 cents from a month earlier but still 21.4 cents higher than this time last year.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on Oct. 9 in New York state have ranged widely over the last five years: $2.34 per gallon in 2016, $2.40 in 2015, $3.55 in 2014, $3.63 in 2013 and $4.12 in 2012.