Daylight Saving Time
“Spring forward…Fall back”. Does that help you remember when and which direction to set your
clocks? On the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward one hour – Spring Forward – and “lose” and hour. Then, on the first Sunday in November, we set our clocks back one hour – Fall Back – and “gain” and hour. Confused yet? Why do we do this and how did it all start?
According to NASA, Benjamin Franklin has been credited for the concept of Daylight Saving Time which was first implemented in the United States during WWI, to save energy for war production and take advantage of the longer daylight hours in the months of April – October. During WWII the government again required states to observe Daylight Saving Time. Between and the wars and after WWII, the states and communities could chose whether or not to observe the time change. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which subsequently standardized Daylight Saving Time. In 2007, with the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time was extend four weeks, with the premise that it would save 10,000 barrels of oil each day, by reducing the use of power by businesses during daylight hours.
The only states who do not observe Daylight Saving Time are Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and American Samoa. These states are located closer to the equator; therefore the days are more consistent in length throughout the year and does not make sense to adjust. It should also be noted that any state can opt out of Daylight Saving Time by passing a State Law.
So this weekend March 14th at 2am, is the magic moment. Set your clocks forward one hour and start taking advantage of the longer and later daylight hours.
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