Traveling by car this Thanksgiving may be heinous, as over 1.37 million other Marylanders are hitting the road.

But an early Christmas gift awaits: Gas prices in the state and the Baltimore region are down compared to last year — and will likely decrease over the next few days, experts say.

The average price of fuel in Maryland is down 8 cents compared to last year at $3.02 per gallon, according to data from GasBuddy, a company that tracks gas prices across the country in real time. Locally, the average fuel price in Baltimore is $3.01 per gallon, down about 7 cents from last year, GasBuddy data shows.

Gas prices in Maryland and the Baltimore region could dip below $3 per gallon in the coming days, Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told The Banner.

“Oil prices have been quite a bit lower this year,” De Haan said.

Seasonal changes, with demand for gas being higher during spring and summer, are common, De Haan said. This year, though, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced it would increase oil production by 137,000 barrels per day in November, which De Haan said has likely helped keep gas prices lower this Thanksgiving than last year.

Gas prices are declining in other metro areas across Maryland. In the Bowie area, gas is about $2.99 per gallon, down 10 cents from this time last year. In parts of Montgomery County, average gas prices have retracted nearly 8 cents from last year to be about $3.10 per gallon.

The Salisbury area saw the largest decrease from a year ago, with average gas prices down about 38 cents to roughly $2.70 per gallon. Contrarily, in Hagerstown, gas prices are up about 6 cents compared to last year at about $3.11 per gallon.

Still, De Haan said Marylanders can expect continually decreasing gas prices in the next few weeks. He warns Thanksgiving travelers to be conscious of other states’ average gas prices. Virginia and West Virginia have lower gas prices, averaging $2.90 and $2.94, respectively, while nearby Pennsylvania is higher at $3.26 a gallon.

Over 1.5 million Marylanders are projected to travel for Thanksgiving this week, 91% of whom are driving, AAA announced last week.

For Marylanders hitting the road this week, the state Department of Transportation suggests traveling between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Tuesday; between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday; and between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Drivers may want to watch the weather before getting on the road.

Those traveling Tuesday may experience light rain, while weather officials predict temperatures could reach the upper 60s on Wednesday. By Wednesday night, though, wind gusts as high as 24 mph will cause temperatures to drop.

Temperatures on Thanksgiving Day will linger in the mid-40s with a windchill that could make it feel even cooler.

When is the best time to hit the road?

Here are the best times to travel on the region’s major highways, per the Maryland Department of Transportation:

Bay Bridge

• Wednesday: Before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
• Thursday: Before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m.
• Friday: Before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
• Saturday: Before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
• Sunday: Before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m.

Interstate 95

• Wednesday: Before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m.
• Thursday: Before 8 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
• Friday: Before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
• Saturday: Before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.
• Sunday: Before 8 a.m. and after 10 p.m.

U.S. 301

• Wednesday: Before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
• Sunday: Before noon and after 6 p.m.