Diesel prices continued their climb for the third consecutive week, gaining 9.6 cents to an average of $2.801, the highest since Nov. 17, 2008

, according to the Department of Energy. In the last three weeks, diesel prices have jumped 21.9 cents.

This week's average was just 48.7 cents below the price during the same week last year, when it was at $3.288. Prior to the increases, diesel prices had fallen 9.2 cents from the end of August.

California saw the highest prices of the week at $2.968, followed by the Central Atlantic and West Coast regions, at $2.923 and $2.904, respectively. The lowest prices were found in the Gulf Coast and Lower Atlantic regions, at $2.740 and $2.773, respectively.

Like diesel, the price of gasoline also gained a dime this week, landing at $2.674, the fuel's third weekly rise. The price is 1.8 cents higher than the average during the same week last year.

Meanwhile, crude oil was down $1.82 to $78.68 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, according to the Associated Press. The news service attributes the decline to the strong dollar and volatile stock market.