Gas prices in CSRA follow downward U.S. trend

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The national average price of gas is now below $4 a gallon, but it’s been there for a while in the two-state region.Thursday’s national average is $3.91 per gallon, but Georgia’s average is $3.40, and South Carolina’s is $3.56.Drivers in the CSRA are getting an even better deal. The average price in Augusta is $3.27 per gallon, down from $3.45 a week ago and $3.75 a month ago. It’s still up from the $2.76 of a year ago, however.The average in Aiken and Edgefield counties is also $3.27 per gallon, down from $3.54 a week ago and $4 a month ago but up from $2.76 a year ago.Although the national number doesn’t mean anything specific economically, $4 acts as a psychological threshold for gas prices. Falling below that makes the price seem much cheaper.Prices are trending down primarily due to falling demand caused by the end of summer driving and the return to standard time.In the long term, gas prices still face serious headwinds. Fighting in Russia and the Middl