Yakima Drivers Still Feeling Pain at The Pump

There's still painful at the pump but gas prices are coming down say officials at GasBuddy. They say average gas prices are down 4.1 cents per gallon over the last week selling for an average of $4.54 a gallon. Prices in Yakima are 38.8 cents per gallon lower than last month and 74.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has declined 6.3 cents in the last week and stands at $4.97 per gallon.

Is it worth the drive to the lower valley?

The cheapest gas in the Yakima valley can be found in Wolfden in Wapato selling for an average of $3.97 per gallon.
The lowest price in the state is $3.89 per gallon while the highest is $5.79 per gallon.
On the national side the average price of gasoline has fallen 5.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.86 per gallon today.

Some good news for the future but it depends on the weather

“While some areas saw gas prices rise slightly last week, the national average saw yet another weekly decline, extending the streak to ten straight weeks. The pace of declines is certainly slowing down as oil prices have bounced up slightly, but the West Coast and Northeastern U.S. are areas that still may see gas prices decline, while the South and Midwest see the drop fade and potentially slight increases," says Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "In addition to falling gasoline prices, the average price of diesel has fallen below $5 per gallon for the first time since March, likely helping to cool off aggressive inflation numbers. Thus far, Mother Nature has spared us from disruptions from hurricanes, but that remains a wildcard as we head into the peak of hurricane season."

Historical gasoline prices in Yakima and the national average going back ten years:
August 22, 2021: $3.80/g (U.S. Average: $3.14/g)
August 22, 2020: $2.67/g (U.S. Average: $2.18/g)
August 22, 2019: $3.05/g (U.S. Average: $2.60/g)
August 22, 2018: $3.30/g (U.S. Average: $2.82/g)
August 22, 2017: $2.82/g (U.S. Average: $2.34/g)
August 22, 2016: $2.52/g (U.S. Average: $2.17/g)
August 22, 2015: $2.98/g (U.S. Average: $2.62/g)
August 22, 2014: $3.86/g (U.S. Average: $3.43/g)
August 22, 2013: $3.69/g (U.S. Average: $3.52/g)
August 22, 2012: $3.89/g (U.S. Average: $3.71/g)

Neighboring areas and their current gas prices:
Tacoma- $4.59/g, unchanged  from last week's $4.59/g.
Seattle- $4.91/g, down 2.5 cents per gallon from last week's $4.94/g.
Washington- $4.71/g, down 1.7 cents per gallon from last week's $4.73/g.