Gas prices could be at lowest in two years by Christmas 2023

Gas prices could fall to their lowest level in two years by Christmas.

Prices at the pump have been falling for nine straight weeks and are now at their lowest since January, according to GasBuddy.

The average price for a gallon of gas in the Harrisburg area on Monday, Nov. 20, is $3.59 - 3.7 cents lower than week ago, 14.8 cents lower than a month ago and 45.6 cents lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy.

The national average price today is $3.31 a gallon while the average price in Pennsylvania is $3.59, according to AAA.

Pennsylvania has one of the highest gas taxes (61.1 cents) in the nation.

“As millions of Americans gear up to hit the road for Thanksgiving, the national average is seeing its longest streak of declines in over a year, reaching a ninth straight week as gas prices fall to their lowest since January,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

“GasBuddy now counts over 65,000 stations with a price of $2.99 per gallon or lower, while 11 states are seeing average prices below $3. In addition, we could see five more states join the sub-$3 club by Thanksgiving. The fall in gas prices, largely seasonal due to weakening gasoline demand, could extend for another week or two, leading to potentially the lowest gas prices since 2021 by Christmas.”

The lowest price in the Harrisburg area today, according to GasBuddy app users, is $3.34 a gallon at Sam’s Club in Silver Spring Twp. and BJ’s Wholesale Club in Lower Allen Twp.

Lower gas prices are expected to result in more people traveling by car for the Thanksgiving 2023 holiday, according to AAA and GasBuddy.

AAA also provided the best - and worst - times to travel during the Thanksgiving travel period.

While there will be more people on the road, not everyone is traveling by car.

The TSA said it also expects a record number of passengers to go through security checkpoints at airports.

The Transportation Security Administration said it has already screened a record number of passengers so far in 2023 and expects the holiday travel season to “be busier than ever.”

The TSA considers the Thanksgiving holiday travel season to start on Friday, Nov. 17, and end on Tuesday, Nov. 28. More than 30 million passengers are expected during that time period.

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