Idaho gas prices retreat

Idaho gas prices are slowly backing away from the $5 mark, even as the crude oil market remains highly uncertain.

According to AAA, today’s average price for a gallon of regular in the Gem State is $4.87, which is 7 cents cheaper than a week ago but still 9 cents more than a month ago and $1.42 more than a year ago.

The national average currently sits at $4.34 per gallon — about 2 cents less than a week ago but 3 cents more than a month ago and $1.26 more than a year ago. Idaho again ranks seventh in the U.S. for the most expensive fuel, with California leading the way at $6.28 and the cheapest prices in Georgia at $3.79 per gallon.

Coeur d'Alene was at $4.52 a gallon.

“A lasting resolution to the conflicts in Ukraine and across the Middle East has proven elusive,” said AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde. “Ebbs and flows in crude oil prices translate into gasoline and diesel prices which are constantly on the move.”

Today, the West Texas Intermediate benchmark for crude oil is trading near $94 per barrel, up from $89 about a week ago. Higher crude prices imply that recent price drops at the pump could be short-lived.

The most expensive counties in Idaho are Clark County ($5.32), Boise County ($5.30), Fremont County ($5.26), Valley County ($5.25), and Camas County ($5.19).

Here’s a look at Idaho gas prices: Boise, $4.93; Franklin, $4.82; Idaho Falls, $4.88; Lewiston, $4.55; Pocatello, $4.88; Rexburg, $4.97; Twin Falls, $4.94