Brace yourselves, because daylight saving time is about to roll in whether you’re prepared or not!
March ushers in the return of daylight saving time for 2024, a moment when we spring forward and willingly trade an hour of sleep for brighter, sunnier days. It’s a seasonal ritual that signals the approach of spring and longer, more vibrant evenings.
In November, we experience the delightful bonus of gaining an extra hour, a refreshing change from the loss we endure in the spring. This shift aims to maximize daylight in the mornings, enabling us to enjoy brighter dawns. Conversely, when we “spring forward” in March, it’s all about extending those luminous summer evenings. With the autumnal equinox having graced us on September 23, the Northern Hemisphere welcomes the enchanting season of fall.
At 2 a.m. this Sunday, November 5, we’ll turn back our clocks by one hour, granting us an extra hour of sleep. This shift is part of the biannual time change that impacts the majority of Americans, with a few exceptions. Here’s what you need to know about daylight savings time:
When does daylight saving time start in 2024?
It will make its grand entrance at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, whisking us forward into the brighter days of spring. But don’t forget to set your clocks back when the curtain falls on this annual spectacle at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, concluding our daylight-saving adventure for the year.
What is the purpose of rewinding the clocks?
Back in 1966, Congress made a significant move by passing the Uniform Time Act, which brought standardization to the length of daylight saving time – the period stretching from March to November.
As a result, we’ve come to expect that it initially kicks off on the second Sunday of March and wraps up on the first Sunday of November each year.
Why all this fuss about adjusting the clocks? Well, according to the Department of Transportation, it is more than just resetting our watches. It’s a measure that aims to conserve energy, reduce traffic accidents, and even curb criminal activity. And it’s the DOT that oversees time zones and ensures that everyone plays by the same time-keeping rules, largely thanks to the railroads’ early efforts in setting time standards.
Is daylight saving time observed in all states?
No, not all states and U.S. territories adhere to the time change.
Hawaii and Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation) do not participate in daylight saving time, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also do not observe it.
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Is daylight saving time being eliminated?
In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the “Sunshine Protection Act,” a bill that aimed to establish daylight saving time as a year-round practice starting in 2023. However, this legislation did not pass in the U.S. House of Representatives and was not signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Source: USATODAY