Remember how gasoline prices were going to take a big fall this month? It might not be as much as we expected.
The predicted 20- to 30-cent drop will be more like 10 to 20 cents, the AAA auto club said Monday.
Here's why: Crude oil prices rose last week after plummeting 16% after Thanksgiving. Investors have become less worried that the omicron variant will sap demand for gasoline. AAA said.
The fast-spreading omicron has been detected in more than half of the United States, including Florida and Georgia, but its effects so far appear to be more minor than the delta variant.
"Oil prices remain the main drivers of prices at the pump," AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a news release. "So if oil prices increase again this week, drivers will again need to adjust their expectations."
Gas prices in Jacksonville average $3.24 for a gallon of regular, down 4 cents from a week ago but $1.16 more than a year ago, according to AAA.
The average price statewide is $3.26 in Florida and $3.15 in Georgia.
The most expensive gas in Florida is in the West Palm Beach area. The cheapest is in the Crestview and Fort Walton Beach area.
