After reaching a record high last week, gas prices are on the way down in the Omaha area.
GasBuddy.com says the daily price of fuel in Omaha as of Monday was $3.96 per gallon. That’s down 12 cents from last week. GasBuddy Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan says a combination of factors led to record high gas prices in Omaha and throughout the Midwest, including a switch to summer blend gasoline.
"Because of that, inventories grow very tight. Refineries are forced to produce a product that burns cleaner, it is something that begins usage every May first. And so supply is generally very tight in the month of May. And supply was made worse by refineries in the Midwest that suffered either unexpected outages or were continuing their maintenance."
DeHaan expects prices will continue to drop in Omaha, reaching $3.50 to $3.60 a gallon. He says the lowest gas prices in the U.S. are usually recorded during June.
Statewide, gas prices average $3.90 a gallon, down from $4.07 a gallon last week.