By Terry Richards
terry.richards@gaflnews.com

VALDOSTA — Gas prices in Valdosta sagged as national price levels rose over the past week, statistics show.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Lowndes County Friday was $2.78, down six cents over the past week, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The lowest fuel price reported in Lowndes County Friday was $2.49 per gallon at a store in Lake Park, according to the price tracking website gasbuddy.com. The lowest price recorded in Tift County Friday was $2.57 per gallon at a store on Alabama Avenue.

Among Georgia’s 15 fuel markets monitored by the auto club, Valdosta’s prices were the third lowest in the state Friday: above Savannah and Hinesville but below Warner Robins, Rome, Macon, Gainesville, Dalton, Columbus, Catoosa, Augusta, Atlanta, Athens and Albany.

Nationally, the average price of gasoline Friday was $3.21 per gallon, up three cents in seven days, while Georgia’s average of $2.72 per gallon was down 12 cents in the same time period, AAA’s numbers show. The state numbers may have been influenced by Gov. Brian Kemp’s suspension of the state’s fuel taxes in the wake of the Hurricane Helene crisis.

“All this terrible weather lately could cause regional prices to rise as drivers flock to the few open stations with gas,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But as roads are cleared and power is restored, stations will be able to be re-supplied, so any upward pressure on prices should be fleeting.”