Gas prices have dropped 8 cents since Sept. 8, but the average gallon of regular unleaded in Utah remains the ninth highest in the United States.

On Tuesday, the average price in the state was $2.62 a gallon, according to AAA. Nationally, the average is $2.48 a gallon, 10 cents lower than last month.

The states with higher prices are Alaska ($3.37), Hawaii ($3.25), California ($3.02), Washington ($2.78), Oregon ($2.73), Nevada ($2.70), New York ($2.68) and Idaho ($2.623). South Carolina, averaging $2.25, is the lowest in the United States.

AAA Utah surveys a handful of communities across the state. Individual gas stations sell fuel at higher and lower prices. AAA's report focuses on self-serve regular gas without regard to octane level.

It's difficult to determine why gas prices in Western states remain higher than other parts of the country as the U.S. government does not release to the public how much gas each refiner produces a week.

In general, gas prices tend to be higher in the summer months because demand is higher. The distances people travel to get to vacations in the West are farther than in other parts of the United States.

The primary reason for the overall drop in gas prices is lower demand for oil, said Rolayne Fairclough, spokeswoman for AAA Utah.

Also, the oncoming winter season plays into the drop in prices. Refiners say summer gas prices increase in part because they use additives in the summer to help curb pollution that are not used in winter blends.

In recent days, however, oil prices have been on the rise. Benchmark crude for November delivery gained 88 cents to settle at $74.15 on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Tuesday. In London, Brent crude rose $1.04 to settle at $72.40 on the ICE Futures exchange.

Tuesday was the fourth day in which crude prices rose. The cost for a barrel of crude is up 4 percent since last week, even though most energy experts believe the U.S. government will report again this week that more unused gasoline and oil is heading into storage.

The reason for the upward direction of oil? The weak dollar.

Oil is traded in U.S. dollars. And the U.S. dollar index, where the U.S. currency is measured against other major currencies, hit a 14-month low Tuesday. Because crude is bought and sold in dollars, it essentially becomes cheaper for international investors who have flooded into energy markets.

"For consumers, keeping a proper perspective is always the key when looking at where gas prices are going," Fairclough said. "Investors are constantly chasing daily economic and consumer demand data as indicators of how much oil they should buy on the market. But for consumers, a long-term view is more helpful, because it allows for daily fluctuations that don't necessarily have much impact on the price at the pump."

Contributing: Associated Press

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