AAA: Georgia gas prices drop a penny from last week

The Georgia gas price average decreased by 1 cent from a week ago, according to AAA-The Auto Club Group.

On Monday, the travel association said that Georgians pay an average of $2.93 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. Monday’s state average is 1 cent less than a week ago, 21 cents more than a month ago, and 6 cents more than this time last year.

“As Hurricane Rafael approaches, the looming storm halts gas prices in their tracks while oil operations brace for a possible impact,” Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman, said in a statement. “Hopefully, once the storm passes, we will start to see pump prices sliding back down.”

Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline decreased by 2 cents to $3.08. The threat of a rare November hurricane churning in the Gulf of Mexico caused gas prices to slow at the pumps.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration, gas demand slid from 9.15 million barrels a day last week to 8.82. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose from 210.9 million barrels to 211.3, while gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.7 million barrels daily.