The Tri-State Area is still feeling the pain at the pump.

In New Jersey, the average price per gallon is $3.68, which is 5 cents below the national average. In New York it�s more than $4, and in Connecticut it�s at $4.04.

But paying to fill up may actually be a little less painful this summer.

�We saw the price of crude oil drop by $9 as of Monday, and that�s the highest one-week drop this year,� Robert Sinclair, Jr. of AAA said. �With it will come gasoline prices.�

The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that the average gas price this summer will be $3.79 per gallon, 16 cents below the previous forecast.

Some analysts even suggest that $3 a gallon is attainable.

Lower prices should arrive just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. By the end of the month, filling up in New Jersey may cost less than $3.50 a gallon, while prices in Connecticut will likely be closer to $3.80, Sinclair said.

(Source: WCBSTV)