As the temperature has fallen, so too has the price of gasoline in California, according to an AAA Northern California report.

A gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline now averages $3.81 in California, down 14 cents from a month ago. But that price drop is expected to slow or reverse in the coming months, per AAA.

 “Increased demand for gasoline and oil has helped to stall out recent price drops at the pump,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “In addition to demand, positive jobs numbers in the U.S., optimism about correcting debt issues in Europe, and a weaker U.S. dollar have all helped to bring a slow halt to dropping prices. As economies do better, or appear to do better, that typically drives up oil and gas prices as investors buy more of these commodities in anticipation of increasing demand.”

Despite the decline, the price of gasoline is still up sharply from last year, 72 cents per gallon year-over-year. California has the third highest average gasoline price, behind only Hawaii – where the average caps at $4.44 per gallon – and Alaska.

The least expensive California gasoline can be found in Ukiah, averaging $3.71 per gallon. South Lake Tahoe has the most expensive gasoline in the state, at $4 per gallon.

In the Stanislaus County area, drivers can expect to pay $3.73 per gallon, down 14 cents from last month, according to AAA

 In Turlock specifically, drivers can expect to pay slightly less at the pump. Two Turlock gas stations offer gasoline as low as $3.57 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.