Gas prices continue to drop in South Florida

Gas prices continue to fall in South Florida and across the state.

The average price at the pump in Florida, $1.98, reflects a 2-cent drop from the week before and 26 cents lower than this time last year, according to AAA.

In the Miami area, gas prices have dropped even more steeply. Prices at the pump dropped 3.6 cents last week and averaged $2.07 a gallon, according to gas-price tracker GasBuddy.com. Across the state in Sarasota, prices are averaging $1.94 a gallon.

"A global gut in oil keeps pushing oil prices lower, which makes it cheaper to produce gasoline,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a statement.

But it won't be this way forever.

The gas watchers predict prices could rise 50 cents between February to May as supplies tighten because of refinery maintenance.

This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Gas prices continue to drop in South Florida."