Lower area gas prices seen as week begins

Cheaper gas continues to be evident in the area as average prices have dropped about a nickel in the area, according to GasBuddy’s weekly price analysis.

Average prices in Tacoma fell 5.3 cents a gallon in the past week, the fuel price monitoring service said Monday, about in line with the national average price drop of 5.2 cents.

Prices in the area are nearly 20 cents lower than at this time in 2015, GasBuddy reports, and nearly 40 cents lower than a month ago.

Costco at 37th and Steele streets and Arco at Orchard and 56th streets had the lowest price Monday in Tacoma at $1.77 a gallon, according to Tacomagasprices.com. In Olympia, the 76 station on Martin Way and Kingham Street Southeast and an Arco station at Martin Way and Ranger Drive Southeast were the cheapest at $1.79.

“Gasoline prices continue to plunge coast to coast as refiners continue to churn out winter-spec gasoline that will soon need to be purged,” said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst, in Monday’s news release. “In the days ahead, expect this seasonal ‘clearance sale’ of gasoline to continue, leading to lower prices in most areas. But don’t get too relaxed — the shift in specifications will lead to an eventual lift in prices once winter gasoline is gone.”

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Lower area gas prices seen as week begins."