When to change your clocks ahead in 2023. Plus, 10 things to know about daylight saving time
The annual ritual is nearly here.
The start of daylight saving time, which subtracts an hour of sleep, is fast approaching. The seasonal time change when we "spring forward" will occur on Sunday, March 12, a full week before the official start of spring on March 20.
Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. which is the official hour to set all of our clocks ahead one hour. That's when local time will instantly become 3 a.m.
Here's more about daylight saving time:
It's not plural
It's daylight saving time not saving's or savings time. It's singular, no matter how people around you say the phrase.
When is it exactly?
Since 2007, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. Previously, it had started on the last Sunday of April and ended on the last Sunday of October.
Never about farmers
Daylight saving time was not started to help American farmers. According to timeanddate.com, daylight saving time was first used in 1908 by a few hundred Canadians in Thunder Bay, Ontario. But Germany popularized daylight saving time after it first set the clocks forward on April 30, 1916, to save coal during World War I.
Daylight saving time became a national standard in 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act, which was established as a way to continue to conserve energy. The thinking was if it's light out longer, that's less time you'll need to use the lights in your house.
Do all states observe DST?
Presently, Hawaii and Arizona are the only two U.S. states that do not observe daylight saving time. Neither do the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marina Islands.
Who's in charge of time?
The U.S. Department of Transportation is in charge of daylight saving time and all time zones in the U.S. "The oversight of time zones was assigned to DOT because time standards are important for many modes of transportation," according to the DOT website.
How about the Sunshine Protection Act?
In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time the new permanent standard time. The measure, however, was not approved by the House of Representatives before the 117th session of Congress ended in January, so the bi-annual ritual of changing the clock remains.
The bill would need to be reintroduced during the 118th Congress for any action to be taken.
Which states want permanent daylight saving time?
As of 2022, at least 29 states have introduced legislation in support of establishing year-round daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Seven states — Alabama, Arkansas, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and Florida — have already approved legislation to permanently observe daylight saving time. However, these states still need approval from Congress to enact the change.
What about the rest of the planet?
Daylight saving time is now used in more than 70 countries worldwide and affects over one billion people every year. The beginning and end dates vary from one country to another.
Phones and smoke alarms
Most phones and computers automatically adjust for the time change, though manual clocks need to be reset. It's also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke alarm.
Next year?
Unless it is eliminated, daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, when we will “fall back” and again gain an hour of sleep.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Daylight saving time 2023: When do we change the clocks in NY
