What To Expect For Montana Gas Prices In The Coming Weeks

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - So far this year, average gas prices in Montana have increased 17 out of 20 weeks. This week, prices are up again. Patrick De Haan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, and he provided the current numbers.

“Average gasoline prices in Montana have increased 3.0 cents in the last week, averaging $3.20 per gallon today,” De Haan said. “Prices in Montana are 6.8 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 22.7 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.”

As of Monday morning, many stations in Missoula had their prices set to around $3.24 per gallon.

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According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana was priced at $2.84 per gallon yesterday, while the most expensive was $3.79 per gallon.

Montana is currently ranked 12 th in the U.S. when it comes to the average price of gas, which is the same spot as last week.

“The national average price of gasoline has decreased 1.0 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.13 per gallon today,” De Haan said. “The national average is up 3.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 43.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 3.2 cents in the last week and stands at $3.48 per gallon.”

While the national average didn’t fall quite as far as anticipated for Memorial Day, De Haan said it was still one of the most affordable since 2021 and, when adjusted for inflation, among the cheapest in nearly a decade.

"As we move into the heart of summer, I believe we’re likely to see a relatively stable stretch for gas prices as refinery maintenance wraps up,” De Haan said. “Don’t expect the national average to rise above $3.30 per gallon, nor drop much below $3 for now. While refining issues on the West Coast are beginning to ease, several factors could still influence prices in the weeks ahead, including growing uncertainty around the upcoming hurricane season."

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli