Gas prices continue to fall in Iowa

Average retail gasoline prices in Iowa have fallen 4.8 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.51 per gallon today, according to according to gasoline price website IowaStateGasPrices.com

The national average has fallen 2.9 cents per gallon in the last week, to $2.62 per gallon.

Including the change in gas prices in Iowa during the past week, prices today are 54.7 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and 20.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 11.9 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 67.6 cents per gallon higher than this day a year ago.

"Gasoline prices will begin to slowly rise across much of the country as colder than average weather results in rising oil demand as temperatures plummet in key areas that warm their homes using heating oil," GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan said in a news release. "However, gasoline prices in the Midwest will buck the trend as stockpiles swell in the Great Lakes area."

DeHaan also said that stockpiles grew last week to the highest levels since March 2008 in that area, resulting in lower prices as supply greatly outpaces demand.