Free-fallin’ – Clocks are about to go back to normal as Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend

As many of us have done each year since the mid 1960s, clocks are about to be set back an hour this weekend for the annual cessation of Daylight Saving Time, happening at 2:00 in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 2.

Not everyone has to ‘fall back’ in the fall; most of the state of Arizona doesn’t observe DST (just the Navajo Nation part of it) due to its hot climate. Nor does Hawaii, which is so close to the equator that day lengths are pretty standard all year. Additionally, the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands also opt out of the twice-yearly clock switch.

While DST was established as a national standard in the United States with the passage of the Uniform Time Act in 1966., it has a long history stretching back to World War I with the establishment of the Standard Time Act of 1918, a measure to conserve energy for the war effort that was repealed a year later due to its unpopularity. People tried again in WWII between 1942-45 with ‘War Time’ designed to conserve fuel, but after the war ended there was no federal regulation and it seems chaos and confusion reigned with individual localities observing the time shift at their own whims. This was fixed in 1966, where all states but the two listed above are required to change with the federal calendar.

Lately, there’s been a push to repeal Daylight Saving Time – or at least keep it in effect year round – with the Sunshine Protection Act, which once again finds itself stalled in the House after passing the Senate. The bill has 29 sponsors of both major parties, but still can’t seem to gain enough traction to pass.

If/when this bill finally passes, we can leave the concept of ‘spring forward, fall back’ behind us forever; in the meantime, this Saturday night when you go to bed, set your non-smart devices (microwave clock, wall clocks, car dashboard clock, etc.) an hour earlier, and be sure your spouse, kids, loved ones, or roommates know so that the process isn’t double-dipped. Your phones and DVRs should handle the time change on their own.

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