Jaws drop along with gas prices

Just when you thought it had gone the way of zoot suits, pet rocks and disco, gasoline at less than $2 per gallon has suddenly made a comeback.

And motorists along the Wasatch Front hope it's here to stay.

Regular unleaded gasoline prices of $1.99 per gallon were spotted Friday at several Salt Lake-area stations. Prices at many other stations were hovering just above the $2 mark.

In fact, the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular in the Salt Lake market, according to AAA Utah, has dropped a whopping 53 cents in the past month to Friday's average of $2.16 per gallon.

And motorists aren't the only astonished ones doing double-takes as they cruise past — and gladly stop at — local gas stations. Even those on the inside are surprised prices have dropped so dramatically, and so soon after the market was devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"My guess back then was I didn't think we'd see it below $2.50 again, so I've been shocked, to be honest with you, that we've seen it drop as far as it has," said Mike Wagstaff, owner of Utah-based and family-owned Holiday Oil.

Holiday Oil stations across the Salt Lake Valley were among those that dropped their unleaded regular prices to $1.99 per gallon Friday. Many Maverick, Tesoro and Conoco stations also dropped below the $2 mark, but the majority of those seemed to be located on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Many east-side stations still offered unleaded regular prices in the $2.10 to $2.19 range.

The Flying J truck stop at I-15 and I-80 also was selling unleaded regular for $1.99 Friday, but other Flying J outlets located in Draper ($2.09) and North Salt Lake ($2.08) were well above that threshold. The best location for inexpensive gas prices appeared to be the 3500 South corridor in West Valley City. And on the west side of the I-15/5300 South interchange, two stations offered unleaded regular at $1.99 while a third was at $2.03.

According to mapgasprices.com, most gas prices in the Provo/Orem area range between $2.17 and $2.21, slightly below the national average of $2.25. The cheapest is at Costco in Orem, where members pay $2.08 per gallon. A few stations in the area are still charging as much as $2.34.

Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokesperson, said a decrease in demand appears to be the primary reason why gas prices are coming down.