Desert Drivers Get Slight Break From Gas Prices

A 10-day streak of increases that pushed the average Inland Empire price of gasoline to its highest level since 2008 ended today, with a decrease of nine-tenths of a cent per gallon.

The average price for one gallon of unleaded self-serve in Riverside and San Bernardino counties was $3.222 today, according to figures gathered by the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. That is 4.6 cents more than a week ago, 10.9 cents more than a month ago and 31.5 cents more than this time last year.

The higher gasoline prices are the result of rising crude oil prices, according to analysts, who cited the weaker dollar as the key reason for the increasing oil prices.

The price of a barrel of benchmark crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange topped$90 for the first time since October 2008 on Tuesday, but then began falling, closing at $87.79 Friday.

The Inland Empire average price rose 10.9 cents during the streak of increases — three-tenths of a cent Dec. 2, 1 cent Dec. 3, 2.5 cents Dec. 4, 1.6 cents last Sunday, a half-cent both Monday and Tuesday, 1.1 cents Wednesday, 1.5 cents Thursday, seven-tenths of a cent Friday and 1.2 cents Saturday.

Crude oil costs account for two-thirds to three-quarters of the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to Tupper Hull, vice president of strategic communications for the Western States Petroleum Association, a trade association representing oil companies in six western states.