In Virginia, gas may be under $2 a gallon by Christmas

In Virginia, gas may be under $2 a gallon by Christmas

Virginia could be one of 20 states where motorists spend less than $2.00 a gallon for gas by Christmas, said petroleum analysts for GasBuddy, which tracks gas prices nationwide.

–Last year the national average shed more than $1.27 from August 1 through December 31, when the U.S. average was $2.24, said senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan. –This year, if we see just half of that decline it will bring us to below $2.00 per gallon.” GasBuddy didnêt make that forecast for Maryland and DC.

Regional, national and global supply and demand fundamentals continue to put more downward pressure on crude oil prices than upward pressure, and that trend is expected to continue well into 2016, the company said. Refining margins are strong, and gas stations will switch to cheaper winter grade gas in the next month.