Gas prices fell below $3 at some area gas stations on Wednesday, good news for the many hitting the road for the holidays.

According to Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, an online gas price analyst, the drop in prices should continue through the end of the year.

He also said seeing gas prices drop below $3 during the month hasn’t been a surprise.

“In the fourth quarter, we (typically) expect to see the lowest prices, and that’s what we’re seeing now,” he said about the decline. “The reason, seasonal pattern. Winter-blend gas is cheaper and the demand is unremarkable, which doesn’t put pressure on the supply.”

According to Laskoski, the average price for a gallon of gas in Georgia is $3.12. Gas has dropped an average of 12 cents the past month; eight cents in the past week.

However, he said by mid-to-late January, prices should begin to rise.  Laskoski said refineries across the country use the months of January, February and March to flush out their winter-blend gas and bring in the more expensive summer-blend gas.