A customer prepares to pump gasoline into her vehicle at a Chevron gas station in San Rafael, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images) 
 
 Talk about fireworks. 
 
 For the first time its 17-year history, consumer data tool GasBuddy is projecting that gasoline prices will be lower on the Fourth of July than they were on New Year's Day. 
 
 The seasonal switcheroo is a result of crude oil's unexpected price decline in 2017 caused by a global glut of petroleum, which isn't going away anytime soon. 
 
 For drivers, that translates into unforeseen savings just in time for the heart of the summer travel season. 
 
 GasBuddy is projecting a nationwide average of $2.21 per gallon on July 4, which would be 12 cents lower than the price at the year's inception. That's also the lowest price on Independence Day since 2005. 
 
 It's "quite the dramatic turnaround" after previous projections that gasoline would near $3 per gallon this summer, GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said. 
 
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 Americans save $4 million per day for every 1 cent drop, DeHaan said. "It really adds up." 
 
 At least one station in 35 states is already offering gas for less than $2 per gallon. 
 
 Gas is typically 47 cents more expensive on July 4 than on the previous Jan. 1, according to GasBuddy. The usual variation is largely due to lower demand in the wintertime. 
 
 "A fundamental principle of the way gas prices work is you never see gas prices lower on the largest, most popular summer driving holiday than you do on New Year's Day," DeHaan said. "For anybody who would have told you that's true, you'd probably think they belong in an asylum." 
 
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 Prices have been diving for several weeks as global oil prices contract. Nationwide prices were averaging $2.26 on Tuesday afternoon, down 11.8 cents from a month earlier. 
 
 The U.S. energy industry has continued pumping oil and natural gas at a steady clip, keeping supplies high despite an effort by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to boost prices through production cuts. 
 
 The price of West Texas Intermediate oil, the U.S. benchmark crude, has been trading in the $42 to $44 range over the last week. Less than a month ago, oil was trading above $50 and experts were projecting prices of $60 to $70 later this year. That now looks unlikely. 
 
 DeHaan said gas prices probably already peaked for the year, barring a major hurricane that disrupts U.S. refineries. 
 
 Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. 
 
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 Drivers on the road this Fourth of July holiday will see the cheapest gas prices since 2005, according to a GasBuddy report on Tuesday. 
 
 U.S. consumers will pay an average of $2.21 per gallon at the pump, well under the 10-year average of $3.14, according to GasBuddy, an app that helps its 65 million users find the cheapest gasoline prices in the United States, Canada and Australia. The prices are also expected to be lower than prices seen on New Year's Day by 12 cents. 
 
 "So many Americans love to hold onto that myth that gas prices go up for the holiday, and yet, here we are. Gas prices down 15 cents a gallon in the last few weeks," GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said Tuesday on CNBC's "Squawk Box." 
 
 Crude prices were higher Tuesday, but they have been dropping most of this month as oversupply concerns loom and OPEC and its partners try to reduce a global crude glut with production cuts. 
 
 OPEC nations and 11 other exporters agreed earlier this year to extend cuts of 1.8 million barrels per day until March 2018. Despite the cuts, markets remain well supplied due to rising output elsewhere. 
 
 GasBuddy said although the average price of gas will be at historic lows, the price variance among different states and cities will be at historic highs. 
 
 Using data from its users, GasBuddy said 64 percent of travelers said gas prices do not impact their decision to make road trips, while 17 percent are taking to the roads because they believe prices are low. 
 
 About 50 to 60 percent of drivers will take road trips of over 500 miles, up 9 percent from last year, DeHaan told CNBC. "Beware of those state lines," he said. "Gas taxes change in every state."
– In what USA Today calls a "stunning" moment for analysts, gas prices are projected to be lower on the Fourth of July than they were on New Year's Day. That's the first time consumer data tool GasBuddy has made such a projection in its 17 years (the projected price is also the lowest Independence Day price since 2005), and it's thanks to the unexpected decline in the price of crude oil this year. Per GasBuddy, the nationwide average on July 4 is projected to be $2.21 per gallon, or 12 cents lower than the price on Jan. 1. Typically, gas would cost 47 cents more per gallon on July 4 than the prior Jan. 1, as more people use the fuel for summer travel. The 10-year average for July 4 gas prices is $3.14, per CNBC. Considering gas prices were once predicted to come close to $3 this summer, one analyst calls this "quite the dramatic turnaround."