Montana Sees Rare Decline in Gas Prices as Trends Shift

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Average gas prices in Montana have now increased in 23 out of 29 weeks. Prices dropped for the second time in three weeks for the first time this year. Patrick De Haan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, and he provided the current numbers.

“Average gasoline prices in Montana have fallen 3.1 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.24 per gallon today,” De Haan said. “Prices in Montana are 2.2 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 27.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.”

As of Monday morning, many stations in Missoula had their prices set to around $3.26 per gallon.

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According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana was priced at $2.86 per gallon yesterday, while the most expensive was $3.89 per gallon.

Montana is currently ranked 10^th in the U.S. when it comes to the average price of gas, which is one spot lower than last week.

"The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09 per gallon today,” De Haan said. “The national average is down 11.5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 37.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 1.7 cents in the last week and stands at $3.69 per gallon.”

READ MORE: Montana Gas Prices: A Closer Look At Current Trends

The national average price of gasoline slipped slightly over the last week, falling alongside oil, which dropped more than $2 per barrel.

“However, a few states, including Florida, Nebraska, and Indiana, bucked the trend, posting double-digit increases per gallon,” said De Haan. “These areas are prone to a phenomenon known as price cycling, where prices can spike and plunge every couple of weeks even if wholesale costs remain mostly unchanged. While I don’t expect major movement in the national average as we approach August, states impacted by price cycling will likely continue to experience more volatile price swings, while others will see relative stability.”