PITTSBURGH — After falling by 13 cents last week, the average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is another 13 cents cheaper this week at $2.229 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. As pump prices continue to plummet across the country, prices in Western Pennsylvania are ending March a whopping 44 cents cheaper than at the beginning of the month.

On the week, 12 Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states saw gas prices push cheaper by at least a dime. These states saw the largest pump price decrease of 13 cents: Maine ($1.93), West Virginia ($1.96), New Hampshire ($2.04), Connecticut ($2.16) and Pennsylvania ($2.22).

Gasoline stocks decreased by 1.2 million barrels. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) measures total inventory for the region at 60 million barrels.

However, regional refinery utilization bumped up 1% to 58%. Gas prices should continue to decrease across the region in the week ahead, with more states seeing their average fall below $2/gallon.

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Bradford is $2.257; in Brookville, $2.194; in Erie, $2.157; and in Warren, $2.259.

At $2.01, the national gas price average is 11-cents cheaper on the week, 43-cents less expensive on the month and 68-cents less than a year ago. This week, AAA expects that the national gas average will drop below $2/gallon for the first time in four years, with the potential of falling even further in the weeks ahead.

Crude oil continues to price low as U.S. gasoline demand decreases to numbers typically seen during the winter driving season. In fact, there is an atypical amount of winter-blend gasoline supply still available, which has caused the Environmental Protection Agency to extend the sale of winter blend past the May 1 deadline to May 20. The agency said they will continue to monitor and, if necessary, extend the waiver again.