Daylight Saving Time is officially coming to an end for 2023.
But when do the clocks change? Do people gain an hour or lose an hour when DST ends? And is Daylight Saving Time ending permanently?
These all are good questions. Readers can find these answers and more below when we take a closer look at falling back for Daylight Saving Time.
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When does time change in 2023 for Daylight Saving Time in U.S.?
Participating states turn their clocks back in the fall when Daylight Saving Time ends on the first Sunday of November each year. In the spring, clocks are turned forward an hour on the second Sunday in March.
When do we fall back in 2023 for DST?
Clocks officially fall back at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023.
Do I gain or lose an hour of sleep on November 5 for Daylights Savings time?
When the clocks “fall back” for Daylight Saving Time, they are turned back at 2 a.m. for one hour when Daylight Saving Time ends, gaining an extra hour of sleep, if desired.
In the spring when DST begins again, clocks will “spring forward” one hour in March. That is when people will lose an hour of sleep.
Why does time change at 2 a.m. for Daylight Saving Time?
Author Michael Downing cited his book, “Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time,“ in an interview with Time Magazine, explaining Amtrak and the railroads were the main reason clocks change at 2 a.m. for DST.
When DST was being established, There were no trains leaving the station at 2 a.m. on Sundays in New York City when Daylight Saving Time was being born.
According to Downing, “Sunday morning at 2 a.m. was when they would interrupt the least amount of train travel around the country.”
Which U.S. states don’t change clocks for Daylight Saving Time?
As of July 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation noted that only Hawaii and parts of Arizona do not participate in daylight saving time. The Navajo Nation is the lone exception in Arizona.
The territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate.
According to the website, states may exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time by state law in accordance with the Uniform Time Act, as amended.
When does Daylight Saving Time end permanently?
Despite the Sunshine Protection Act being unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate in 2022, there is no permanent end in sight.
The bill was not signed into law by the U.S. House of Representatives, citing other priorities that needed to be addressed before tackling DST, according to The Hill. Thus, the bill has not been signed into law by President Joe Biden.
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) told The Hill in July that efforts to find a consensus for Daylight Saving Time continue to fall flat with an emphasis on geographical issues rather than political party lines.
“The problem is that a lot of people say to me, ‘Oh, we should just have, you know, we shouldn’t switch back and forth, we should just have standard or daylight saving,’ but then they disagree over which one to enact,” Pallone told The Hill.
“And so that’s the problem. We need a consensus that if we’re gonna have one time, what is it? And I haven’t been able to get a consensus on that.”
When does Daylight Savings 2024 time change spring forward, fall back?
Clocks spring forward on Sunday, Mar. 10, and fall back Nov. 3 in 2024.
Chris Sims is a digital producer for the Journal Star. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.