Gas Prices Level Off Near $3 A Gallon

'Twas the week before Christmas and gasoline prices were almost $3 a gallon, unusually high for so late in the year.

The national average price of self-serve regular today is $2.984 a gallon, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. That's the same as it was yesterday and less than a penny more than last Friday.

The price of diesel fuel is $3.258 a gallon, up a penny from last Friday.

Last year at this time, gasoline sold at an average of $2.59 a gallon. Why this year's December price rise? It may be more than currency fluctuations, which have determined crude oil and gasoline prices in the past.

Andrew Delmege, AAA's manager of regulatory affairs, points to recent "bullish expectations" for the economy, including a jump in output from U.S. refineries, that are now producing more gasoline with the expectation that demand will increase as the economy improves.

This week the Energy Information Administration reported U.S. crude oil stockpiles fell by 9.9 million barrels the previous week, another sign that demand is picking up.

"The current national retail average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is $2.98, up three cents more than a week ago, nine cents more than a month ago, and 37 cents more than a year ago," Delmege said.

The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:

• Hawaii ($3.604)

• Alaska ($3.545)

• California ($3.270)

• New York ($3.254)

• Connecticut ($3.225)

• Washington ($3.171)

• Maine ($3.114)

• Vermont ($3.112)

• Illinois ($3.080)

• Oregon ($3.058)

The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:

• Colorado ($2.743)

• Wyoming ($2.792)

• Missouri ($2.804)

• Oklahoma ($2.808)

• South Carolina ($2.809)

• Texas ($2.819)

• Arkansas ($2.829)

• Mississippi ($2.831)

• Tennessee ($2.838)

• Louisiana ($2.858)