Gas Prices Stage a Decline While $4 a Gallon Waits in the Wings

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County fell nine-tenths of a cent Sunday to $3.85, the third consecutive daily decline.

However, that gallon could be back to $4 in early 2012, economists tell the Associated Press. Crude oil has jumped 22 percent in the past five weeks, with a barrel of crude oil flirting with $100 for the first time since summer. Now, economists say that gasoline prices will soon rise in response to the crude oil price hike.

"Higher oil prices will lead to more expensive gasoline, since gas is refined from crude. The national average of $3.44 per gallon is already the highest ever for this time of year, and analysts say pump prices are likely to hit $4 a gallon by spring," the Associated Press reports.

The average price in Los Angeles is 1.7 cents less than one week ago, but a half-cent more than a month ago and 71.4 cents higher than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

The average price fell two-tenths of a cent Friday and a half-cent Saturday.

Here are the Chatsworth prices for a gallon of regular self-service gasoline as  reported by GasBuddy.com.

-- City News Service contributed to this report.