PITTSBURGH — The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is two cents cheaper this week at $2.816 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

Motorists across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states are seeing slight increases at the start of the holiday week: Maryland (+2 cents), New Jersey (+2 cents), Virginia (+2 cents), Delaware (+2 cents), West Virginia (+2 cents), New York (+1 cent). Increases are likely due to the substantial amount of holiday motorists — 16 million in the Northeast — expected to travel this week.

In the region, Pennsylvania ($2.75) carries the most expensive state gas price average and lands on the top 10 list of most expensive averages in the country.

Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) data shows that regional gasoline stocks built, but by a marginal 600,000 barrels, to total 62.9 million barrels. In the same timeframe, regional refinery rates increased, though only by 1%. Gas prices are likely to see some fluctuation in the week ahead, but any increases are not expected to be large spikes or to linger for very long.

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Bradford is $2.939; in Brookville, $2.799; in DuBois, $2.803; in Erie, $2.863; and in Warren, $2.913.

More than 100 million Americans are taking to the roadways to travel for the holidays, but that hasn’t had a large impact on gas prices. At the start of the work week, only about a dozen states are seeing more expensive gas prices with increases of less than a dime.

Today’s national average is $2.54, which is a penny less than last week and a nickel cheaper than last month. While the national gas price average continues to slowly edge cheaper, it is noticeably more expensive as compared to last year’s holidays — by nearly 20 cents. However, this isn’t deterring people from taking their holiday road trips and some states are seeing lower averages than last year.