MO gas average falls for fifth straight week

Missouri's average retail gasoline prices have fallen for the fifth straight week.

During the week of April 23-29, the state's gas average decreased 4.9 cents to $3.55 per gallon yesterday. The average was 21.5 cents lower than a month ago and 25.5 cents lower than a year ago. Comparatively, the U.S. average, which dropped 3.3 cents during the week to $3.81 per gallon, was 8.6 cents lower than a month ago and 10.4 cents lower than a year ago, according to a GasBuddy.com news release.

"Unsurprisingly, the average price for a gallon of regular self-serve continues to drop in a majority of communities across the United States," said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst, in the release. "Will we hear an end to complaining about gasoline prices at the pump? Perhaps the rhetoric will wind down, but with summer around the corner, any sudden increase in price of gasoline will have Americans virtually calling for the heads of politicians in November."

Missouri's average increased 2 cents to $3.57 per gallon this morning, landing the state at No. 4 on GasBuddy.com's list of the lowest gas averages by state. With an average of $3.50 per gallon, Oklahoma held the top spot on the list.

As of 10:32 a.m., a filling station in Kansas City had the lowest cost of gas in the state with $3.29 per gallon. In Springfield, the least expensive gas, $3.43 per gallon, was available at Sam's Club, 3660 E. Sunshine St., according to MissouriGasPrices.com.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading at $104.20 per barrel as of 10:36 a.m., down from $102.35 a week ago. Light sweet crude oil futures for June were trading at $104.16 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, according to the CME Group.