The price of an average gallon of self-serve regular in the Los Angeles area retreated from record highs above the $3-mark, slipping 2.9 cents to $2.975 for the week ended Sept. 12, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

Still, L.A. prices are 92.1 cents higher than they were a year ago. Prices surged 23.2 cents the prior week due to disruptions Gulf Coast petroleum operations suffered in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Statewide, prices fell 5.2 cents to $3.004 from $3.056 over the week, 95.1 cents higher than year-ago rates. For the second straight week, California was out-priced as the state with the highest gas prices in the nation by New York, which grabbed the top spot despite slumping 6.9 cents to $3.300, and Massachusetts, which dipped 9.8 cents to $3.121 for second place.

New York City was the priciest city in the nation for the second week in a row, falling 8.8 cents to $3.188. Boston was next on the list, slipping 9.9 cents to $3.108. San Francisco, the price leader before last week, was in third place, and Los Angeles tied with Miami for fourth place.

Minnesota was the lowest-priced state of the areas surveyed, at $2.746 per gallon, and the city with cheapest gas was Houston, which plunged 11.4 cents to $2.862 per gallon.