By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Motorists intending to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday will be somewhat pleasantly surprised at the pump as gas prices across the state have fallen an average of 2.3 cents per gallon in the past week.

While a far cry from prices seen a decade ago, drivers in Louisiana can expect to pay an average of $2.67 per gallon. In St. John the Baptist Parish, many gas stations offer even lower prices, with some going about 10 cents lower than the state average.

Overall, Louisiana motorists are a little better off than those in the rest of the country. Across the rest of the U.S., the average price at the pump is $2.87 per gallon, down 1.3 cents in the past week.

Louisiana’s gas prices are about 22 cents higher than a year ago and 1.7 cents higher than a month ago.

Nationally, the price is nearly 23 cents higher than a year ago and about 4 cents higher than a month ago.