(CHARLOTTE) -- Despite crude oil price spiking above $100 a barrel, there's some good news regarding gas prices as we approach the Christmas travel season. The average price of gas in North Carolina is on a downward trend.

Tom Crosby of  AAA Carolinas said it is hard to tell if prices will stabilize for a while. "The good news is we're only about 30 cents or so more than we were last year at this time and that's really good news," said Crosby.  "Will it continue? It all depends on what's going to be happening in Europe.  If our economy starts to rebound robustly, that will that will push gas prices up because more people will be employed and we think more people will get behind the wheel and drive."

The highest price for a gallon of regular gas in North Carolina is in Asheville and the Triangle and the lowest price is in Wilmington.  The average price statewide on Wednesday was $3.27 a gallon.

On Wednesday OPEC announced that its 12 oil ministers agreed to keep oil output at 30 million barrels a day. Oil prices inched down below $100 a barrel  in Asia.