For the second straight month, gasoline prices in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California moved lower, but they may bottom out soon, said the Automobile Club of Southern California. Gas in L.A. is now just 2.3 cents higher than year-ago levels.

The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area dipped 3.5 cents to $2.373 on Friday from $2.408 one week ago. The price was $2.550 per gallon one month ago and $2.350 one year prior, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

“Gas prices have been drifting lower for almost two months, but in the past couple of weeks, the price of crude oil has risen to the $54 range, sending wholesale gasoline prices higher,” said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. “Those factors indicate that local retail prices could bottom out soon.If crude stays at its current level, we may see the end of our lower price trend in the next week or two.”

For the fourth Friday in a row, the Bakersfield area had the lowest average price in Southern California, with $2.351, down 3 cents. The Riverside-San Bernardino area came in second place, at $2.358. The Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc area had the highest average local price, at $2.506.

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., June 10.