Gas Prices May Have Bottomed, For Now

The long, slow decline in gasoline prices consumers have enjoyed this fall may have reached its end, at least temporarily.

The national average price of self-serve regular today is $3.293 per gallon, up from $3.289 last Friday, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. That's still almost 13 cents a gallon less than what motorists were paying a month ago.

The price of diesel fuel is still going down. The average price of diesel fuel today is $3.920 per gallon, down from $3.945 a week ago.

What's notable is the price decline in states where gas is most expensive. The average price in Alaska has now slipped below $4 a gallon, leaving Hawaii as the only start with an average price above that mark.

Despite worries about Europe's economic future, oil prices have moved higher in the last week mainly because things are looking better in the U.S. Optimism that the U.S. economy is recovering was boosted by data this month showing a much better than expected jobs report.

This built on reports that U.S. manufacturing activity had reached the highest level in five months and of positive consumer spending and private sector job creation numbers. A recovering U.S. economy would be expected to demand more crude oil and put upward pressure on crude prices.

The states with the most expensive gas this week are:

• Hawaii ($4.074)
• Alaska ($3.966)
• California ($3.613)
• Washington ($3.551)
• Oregon ($3.492)
• New York ($3.582)
• Connecticut ($3.570)
• Nevada ($3.420)
• Vermont ($3.400)
• Maine ($3.393)

The states with the least expensive gas this week are:

• New Mexico ($3.025)
• Missouri ($3.054)
• South Carolina ($3.093)
• Oklahoma ($3.087)
• Texas ($3.118)
• Tennessee ($3.121)
• Mississippi ($3.129)
• Arkansas ($3.132)
• Louisiana ($3.135)
• Alabama ($3.152)