After months of shorter days and early sunsets, Americans will soon welcome longer evenings as daylight saving time begins. Clocks across the country will jump forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Sunday, marking the official start of the seasonal time change.
When Does Daylight Saving Time End?
Daylight saving time will remain in effect until Nov. 2. Standard time was last observed from Nov. 3, 2024, until this Sunday. Unlike the fall time change, when clocks are set back an hour, this spring transition results in the loss of an hour of sleep. However, it also brings extended daylight hours, leading to brighter evenings throughout the warmer months. The return to standard time on Nov. 2 will once again signal shorter days as winter approaches.
Why Do We Change the Clocks?
The United States has observed daylight saving time since 1918 with the passage of the Standard Time Act, according to the U.S. Astronomical Applications Department. The change was originally introduced to extend daylight hours during the summer months by delaying sunset by an hour.
Despite its introduction, daylight saving time was met with resistance and was repealed in 1919, leaving the decision up to local governments. It was later reinstated during World War II and remained in effect from 1942 to 1945. After the war, different states set their own daylight saving policies until the passage of the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which established standardized start and end dates while allowing states to opt out.
Since 2007, the time change has followed a fixed schedule: daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Which States Do Not Observe Daylight Saving Time?
Not all Americans will need to adjust their clocks this weekend. Residents of Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe daylight saving time and keep their clocks on standard time year-round, according to the U.S. Astronomical Applications Department.
Could Daylight Saving Time Become Permanent?
Efforts to end the twice-yearly clock change have gained traction in recent years. In March 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent year-round. Under the proposed legislation, Hawaii and most of Arizona would continue to follow standard time, while the rest of the country would eliminate the biannual shift altogether. However, the bill has not yet been signed into law.
For now, Americans should prepare to lose an hour of sleep this weekend but can look forward to longer, brighter days in the months ahead.
