Texas turns back clocks this week for daylight saving time — gaining an hour of sleep

David Montesino
·2 min read

Yes, Texas still adheres to daylight saving time.

At 2 a.m. on Nov. 5, Texans will gain an hour of sleep as clocks fall back an hour. The winding of the clock each year starts on the second Sunday in March and ends the first Sunday in November.

There’s been a push to end daylight saving time in the United States, however, there is still no nationwide law in place as of this fall. Here’s what we know about why the practice was started:

WHAT IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME?

It’s more than just turning the clock forward and backward.

Daylight saving time is the method of moving the clocks forward one hour from standard time during the summer months and changing it back in the fall, according to the Old Farmers Almanac.

The central idea behind the change is that it gives people more time in the daylight over the spring and summer periods. The opposite is the case after daylight saving time changes, granting people more daylight in the morning over fall and winter.

WHY WAS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME STARTED?

We can thank World War I for the origin of the practice. In 1916, Germany decided to implement the first daylight saving time to maximize its usage of resources during sunlit hours.

The United State followed suit two years later in 1918, adopting the seasonal time shift, according to National Geographic.

ARE THERE STATES THAT DO NOT OBSERVE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME?

Yes, Arizona and Hawaii do not observe the seasonal time shift.

Hawaii opted out of the Uniform Time Act in 1967, because of its proximity to the equator and how the sun rises and sets at the same time everyday, according to Time.

Arizona followed suit a year later in 1968, opting out of the act due to how much sunshine the state gets. If Arizona was to set its clock an hour ahead, sunlight would last until 9 p.m., according to the Arizona Republic.

WHAT STATES WANT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME TO STAY ALL YEAR ROUND?

In total, there are 19 states that have enacted legislation in favor of year-round daylight saving time, pending congressional approval.

These states are: Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, Delaware, Maine, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington, Florida, California and Colorado. Massachusetts and Maine have commissioned studies on a full-time daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Congress would have to approve the time changes before any of the states could use daylight saving time year-round.