Surprise! Diesel price drops

After a 4-cent jump two weeks ago, the national average price for a gallon of diesel dropped 3.6 cents for the week ending Monday, Jan. 16, to $2.449, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Prices dropped in every region. The average price fell the most in the Midwest, down 4.3 cents to $2.408. The East Coast average dropped 3.9 cents to $2.489. The Gulf Coast average dropped 3.8 cents to $2.415. The West Coast average dropped 1.2 cents to $2.565. The Rocky Mountain average dropped a penny to $2.421.

However, those prices all are about 50 cents higher than they were this time last year. For state-by-state diesel prices, updated daily, visit www.etrucker.com/apps/promiles/fuelprices.asp.