evidence: - Average gas prices are below $2 per gallon in seven states today including: South Carolina ($1.88), Mississippi ($1.97), Oklahoma ($1.97), Tennessee ($1.97), Alabama ($1.97), Arkansas ($1.98) and Missouri ($1.996). [...] - Only 12 percent of U.S. stations are selling gas for more than $2.50 per gallon today. [...] Gas prices across much of the region continue to drop, and average prices in both Virginia and New Jersey likely will fall below $2 per gallon this week. Washington, D.C. ($2.47), New York ($2.38) and Connecticut ($2.36) have the most expensive averages in the region, though average prices generally are more than 50 cents per gallon cheaper than a year ago.