NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Prices for drivers at the gas pump continue to fall, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas.
"We've been on a downward trend at the gas pumps for the past month, maybe a little longer than that and that's continuing," Steward said. "Today's average in Kansas is $3.35 a gallon. That's down four cents from where we were a week ago and down more than 30 cents from a month ago."
Area county prices are on either side of the state average.
Reno - $3.27
McPherson - $3.21
Harvey - $3.29
Sedgwick - $3.40
Kingman - $3.39
Pratt - $3.47
Stafford - $3.45
Rice - $3.45
"Concerns about the U.S. economy have been sort of dampening oil and gas prices here recently," Steward said. "WTI crude is in the $83 to $84 a barrel range and that's down from where we were a week ago, which was in the $87 to $88 a barrel range."
With the weather looking like it will worsen soon, that can have an effect, as well.
"The trend that we've been seeing of falling gas prices over the past month or more reflects what we typically see as we head into the fall and winter months," Steward said. "As the weather gets colder and winter precipitation comes into the conversation, then we typically see lower demand. Although, demand has stayed fairly steady across the nation in recent weeks."
The Middle East war in Gaza has not yet had much of an effect on prices either way, and likely will not, unless the war escalates to nearby countries with more oil reserves.
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