Some good news on gas prices

CENTRAL VALLEY -- Did you ever think we’d be thrilled at the prospect of paying $3.60 per gallon for gas?

Prices continue to fall from their spike a couple of weeks ago, when people in the Northern San Joaquin Valley were paying close to $4.40 per gallon for gas.

As of this morning, the Arco station on Taylor Road in Turlock had the area’s lowest price, according to ModestoGasPrices.com: $3.87. Several other area stations are selling gas for $3.89.

Experts predict the prices could fall further by Thanksgiving.

The statewide average on Tuesday was $4.40 a gallon, down from the single-day record of $4.67 a gallon set Oct. 9. On that day, the California price even topped the average in Hawaii, which almost always has the most expensive gas in the United States. It’s now back down below Hawaii — by 2 cents a gallon.

The national average is also plummeting. Tuesday’s price of $3.65 was down a dime from a week ago, the largest seven-day decline since May 2011 and one of the largest since the recession hit in 2008.

Analyst Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy.com said California prices will drop to $4 a gallon “or even less” by Thanksgiving. Energy watcher Bob van der Valk said independent gas stations will decrease their prices even more quickly, perhaps drifting down to $3.60 by Thanksgiving.