AAA's latest survey shows the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in the Sacramento area is $3.80.
"Prices in Sacramento, just in the last week, down six cents per gallon and continuing to decline."
Patrick DeHaan is with the gas-price tracking firm GasBuddy.com. He says we're paying about 85 cents less than we were this time last year.
Meanwhile in other parts of the country such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lubbock, Texas and St. Louis, Missouri gas prices are poised to break below $3. DeHaan says don't hold your breath for that to happen in California.
"Not only are California's gasoline taxes among the highest in the nation but special blends of gasoline cost more to produce."
But DeHaan says prices in the Sacramento area could get as low as $3.50 in the next few weeks. DeHaan says the federal government shutdown is actually helping to put downward pressure on prices because of worries over an economic slowdown and reduced demand for gas.