TRENTON, NJ — Motorists are seeing sharply lower prices at the pumps in New Jersey.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of regular gasoline in New Jersey on Friday was $3.57, down 13 cents from last week. But that’s still much higher than the price from a year ago, when motorists were paying $3.33.

Meanwhile, the national average price fell by 16 cents to $3.56. That’s still higher than the national average from a year ago, which was $3.44.

Analysts say gas prices should continue to fall in New Jersey in the coming weeks, but also cautioned that Hurricane Sandy could cause some disruptions in refinery operations. If that occurs, there could a brief increase in crude oil and gasoline prices.