Average U.S. price of gas drops 22 cents per gallon in past three weeks

The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline has plummeted 22 cents a gallon over the past three weeks, to $2.51.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that falling crude oil costs are the main reason for the decrease at the pump.

The average gas price has dropped 40 cents in the past three months.

The price-tracking website minnesotagasprices.com reported Sunday that the average price of gas in Minnesota was about $2.30 a gallon. That's down from about $2.61 three months ago.

Prices were reported to be below $2 — $1.99 a gallon — at some gas stations in Baxter, Little Falls and Randall as of Sunday afternoon.

The highest average price in the nation is $3.58 a gallon in the San Francisco Bay Area. The lowest average is $1.91 in Tulsa, Okla.

The average price of diesel fell 9 cents over the past two weeks, to $3.18.

MPR News contributed to this report.