Gas drops below $2 per gallon at nearly 40,000 stations across the country

Gasoline prices are continuing to fall in the Pittsburgh area and even more sharply across the nation, an industry analyst says.

“The root cause continues to be coronavirus related,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for the price-tracking firm GasBuddy. “Such a large decline at this time of year is mind-blowing, as gas prices have risen in all but one year in the last 10 during the spring.”

In the Pittsburgh area, gas prices fell 8.5 cents per gallon in the past week to an average of $2.47, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 731 stations. That’s 21.5 cents per gallon less than a month ago, and 29.3 cents per gallon less than a year ago.

The national average saw one of its biggest weekly declines in the last decade, DeHaan said. It fell 14.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.22. That’s 21.2 cents per gallon less than a month ago, and 32.9 cents per gallon less than a year ago.

Neighboring areas and their current gas prices:

• Akron — $1.83, down 25.7 cents per gallon from last week.

• Cleveland — $1.98, down 21.8 cents per gallon from last week.

• West Virginia — $2.16, down 11.5 cents per gallon from last week.

Nationwide, nearly 40,000 gas stations are now selling gas for less than $2 per gallon, up from 15,000 a week ago, DeHaan said. Prices were as low as $1.24 per gallon in Oklahoma City last week, and more price drops are expected nearly everywhere, he said.