Gas prices to continue to drop through at least Labor Day

COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – AAA says it’s going to get a lot less expensive to fill up the gas tank come the end of August. At last check in Branch County, most stations were charging around $2.35 a gallon. The statewide average Friday was $2.51, down 12 cents a gallon from last week. Elsewhere in Southwest Michigan, some locations are down to $2.20 a gallon. Spokeswoman Gail Weinholzer says once some minor refinery issues in the Upper Midwest are taken care of, the decline in prices should kick into high gear with at least a 15 cent a gallon decline between now and Labor Day. Beyond that, look for another quarter a gallon less to pay as we head toward the major holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. The decline is being caused in part by a 25% increase in crude oil supplies this year over 2014. The average price at the pump right now, nationwide, is $2.65 a gallon.