When Hurricane Katrina hit last year, the average gas price in the Washington region stayed above $3 for 18 days. When Hurricane Rita came ashore soon after, gas prices again hovered above $3 for another 18 days.
On Tuesday, despite a 1-cent dip over the past two weeks, the region saw average gas prices above $3 for the 32nd consecutive day. It was by far the longest such stretch in the region’s history, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend.
“This is the great mystery,” Townsend said. “The prices are the result of people worrying about the worst-case scenario, and the worst-case scenario never, never materializes.”
Despite the prolonged spike, Townsend said he believes the public backlash in the past month did help ease prices just in time for the first big travel weekend.
Townsend estimates that 452,900 Washington-area residents will drive to their holiday weekend destinations — a 1.4 percent increase over last year’s Memorial Day weekend. Last year at this time, it cost drivers $33.41 to fill up a 15-gallon tank. This year, it will cost $46.50.
Another 56,500 Washingtonians will fly to their destinations — a 2.9 percent increase over 2005, officials said.
Prices at the pump
» The national average price for self-serve regular unleaded gas was $2.92 a gallon on Friday, a decline of about 1.5 cents per gallon in the past two weeks and the first drop since February, officials said.
» The average price in the Washingtonregion on Tuesday was $3.08 per gallon.
» AAA says 1 in 10 people in region will travel 50 miles or more during the weekend.
