Average retail gasoline prices in Seattle area have risen 3.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $4.30 per gallon yesterday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 3.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.65 per gallon, according to gasoline price website SeattleGasPrices.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Seattle during the past week, prices yesterday were 36.9 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 22.5 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has decreased 15.7 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 13.4 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

“Summer driving season has officially begun with the national average falling far lower than we expected it earlier this year,” said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. “The national average has dropped to a surprising $3.65/gal mark as of today. Had you asked me back in January if the national average would have been that low on Memorial Day, I would likely have chuckled, but it goes to show anything is possible,” DeHaan said. GasBuddy forecast back in January that the national average would peak between $3.75-$4.15 per gallonl. The national average peaked at $3.92 per gallon on April 5, far sooner than many analysts, including DeHaan, expected it to occur.

About SeattleGasPrices.com

GasBuddy operates SeattleGasPrices.com and over 250 similar websites that track gasoline prices at over 140,000 gasoline stations in the United States and Canada. In addition, GasBuddy offers a free smartphone app which has been downloaded over 20 million times to help motorists find gasoline prices in their area.

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