Gasoline prices dropped for the fifth consecutive week this week, the Automobile Club of Southern California reported Friday.

But prices could start rising soon, in part because of the conversion to the costlier summer blend, said the Auto Club.

The average price of a gallon of regular self-serve in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area fell 3.6 cents over the past week to 2.488 dollars Friday, 14 cents less than last month and 10 cents less than a year ago, according to the latest Auto Club survey.

The average price per gallon dropped by eight-tenths of a cent from both Dec. 29-Jan. 5 and Jan. 5-12, 4.6 cents from Jan. 12-19 and 5.9 cents from Jan. 19-26.

"For the past seven years, California gas prices have started to go up in either January or February after a winter decline in prices during the lowest demand time of the year," Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp said.

The Auto Club provided this breakdown of gasoline prices in selected portions of California and Nevada.

Source: Xinhua