Gas prices to stay steady over holiday weekend

Hitting the road for one more summer vacation? You may not have to shell out extra cash at the pump.

Travel experts expect gas prices to hold steady in Nevada through the long weekend as people take off on their last trips celebrating the unofficial end to summer.

The average gas price in Las Vegas is about $4.02 per regular gallon as of Thursday, according to AAA data. That’s on par with the statewide average but still higher than the national average of $3.18 per gallon.

But there is some light at the end of the road, AAA spokesman Sergio Avila said. Gas prices have leveled off since the increasing price of crude oil — which hit a seven-year high around Fourth of July — and summer demand caused a surge through about mid-August. Last week’s average was $4.o4, suggesting a downward trend as travel demand decreases and crude oil prices fall.

“We’re expecting that once Labor Day is over, there’ll be a pretty significant drop in demand, and likely see gas prices follow suit,” he said.

Patrick De Haan, an analyst for GasBuddy.com, said another contribution to the expected drop in gas prices this month is a change in the local supply.

“Nevada also switches back to a cheaper version of gasoline in mid-September that should help bring prices down” De Haan said. “For Labor Day, I think for most of those in Nevada, prices should either stabilize or inch down slightly. And that’s a trend that may continue barring any refinery issues in California.”

Nevada’s gas prices have remained steadily high throughout the summer, according to data from GasBuddy.com. A regular gallon has hovered around $4 per gallon — the third highest in the country, behind only California and Hawaii.

De Haan noted the West is isolated from any weather-related ripple effects to gas prices seen on the East Coast because of Hurricane Ida. Wildfires in Northern California and Nevada haven’t affected prices yet, either, because they are not close to refineries.

“The West Coast is a little bit of a petrol island, it’s kind of disconnected from the rest of the country,” he said. “When an issue happens in California, it affects California and Nevada, but the opposite is not really true either. That is, a hurricane can go through and because the West Coast is kind of isolated on that petrol island, it doesn’t always affect other areas.”

The AAA doesn’t share a travel forecast for Labor Day weekend because of staggered school year start dates, but travel demand this year has been strong. Many people may use the long weekend as a last summer hurrah, Avila said. The group recommends checking your vehicle’s tires, battery and engine before any long road trip.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.