Daylight saving time ends soon. Here’s when to turn your clocks back in NC

Evan Moore
·2 min read
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The end of daylight saving time is near in North Carolina, which means it’s almost time for clocks to “fall back” one hour – and an extra hour of sleep.

Most of the U.S. begins daylight saving time on the second Sunday in March ahead of spring and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November.

This year, daylight saving time ends on Nov. 5 at 2 a.m.

Though the times we adjust our clocks have been set for nearly six decades, daylight saving could soon become a thing of the past.

In 2021, federal lawmakers introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, a move that would ensure Americans no longer have to change their clocks twice a year. If it clears the House and is signed into law by President Joe Biden, year-round daylight saving time would apply to all states.

But the bill has remained in the House since March 2022.

What is the purpose of daylight saving time?

As the name implies, daylight saving time is a way to save energy and light during the spring and summer months.

A study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that the four-week extension of daylight saving time in 2008 saved about 0.5% of the nation’s electricity per day or 1.3 trillion watt-hours – enough to power 100,000 households for an entire year.

Studies have also shown that the extra hour of daylight has resulted in safer roads, lower crime rates, and economic benefits.

Critics, however, say more dark mornings could lead to grogginess for commuters and parents who drive their children to school, especially in the winter.

Other concerns about daylight saving time included disruptions to harvesting schedules for farmers, interference with religious observances based on solar and lunar time, and potential delays in reworking computer systems programmed to switch twice a year.

Is daylight saving always the same time of year?

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established national start and end dates for daylight saving time.

However, the act allows states to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time under state law.

Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, observe permanent standard time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.