March 20th, 2024: Time change: Spring forward! Important Information Regarding Daylight Saving Time

Emotionally ready yourself: An extra hour of sleep is about to slip away from you this night.

On Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time will begin. Darkness will persist in the morning for a bit longer than usual, but the good news is that daylight will last for an extra hour into the late afternoon and evening.

Your watches and cellphones will magically adapt to the new time zone without you having to lift a finger. However, you’ll have to put in the time and effort to set your own alarms and modify any analog watches, clocks, or appliances that you may have lying around the house.

If you’re confused about the time change or why it’s spelled “saving” instead of “savings,” this article will fill you in.

Daylight Saving Time: Why is it an annual tradition?

How does daylight saving time work?

Most of the United States’ population sets their clocks back one hour from March through November in observance of daylight-saving time.

To “spring forward” and gain an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, we set our clocks back an hour in March. In addition, we “fall back” in November by getting an extra hour of daylight in the mornings and gain an hour in October.

On Tuesday, March 19, nine days following the time change, spring will officially begin.

Is Michigan’s time change ending?

A  Sunshine Protection Act to permanently establish daylight saving time was introduced to Congress not long ago, and in 2022, it was unanimously adopted by the United States Senate. This would end the practice of setting the clocks back. But President Joe Biden did not sign it into law since it failed to clear the House of Representatives.

How does the change in time affect one’s health?

Research conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that Americans have physical health issues because of the biannual time changes. Strokes, heart attacks, accidents, and mood swings were among them.

Your biological clock may become misaligned, according to some scientists. Other research has found that an uptick in traffic accidents occurs just before daylight saving time begins.

What is the significance of DST?

By extending the duration of “daylight” from one hour in the morning to another, the National Institute of Standards and Technology states that daylight saving time occurs.

As a result, the time of day can continue to be adjusted to coincide with when most people are outside. The idea behind DST is that people will spend less energy heating and cooling their homes during the warmer months as they will be outside more.

The lack of daylight-saving time in Arizona and Hawaii begs the question: why?

Due to its proximity to the equator, Hawaii chose not to participate in the Uniform Time Act. Since the sun rises and sets at roughly the same time every day, DST is rendered unnecessary.

Although Arizona did take part in 1967, its energy use quickly became unmanageable. According to an article by Arizona State University, while most of the country was conserving gasoline, Arizona actually increased its energy consumption to accommodate the extra hour of daylight.

The Navajo Nation, located in the state’s northeast, is one of the few remaining areas that observes daylight saving time.

When exactly does DST expire in the year 2024?

On Sunday, November 3, the first Sunday of November, daylight saving time will come to an end.

In the year 2025, what hour does daylight saving time start?

On March 9, 2025, Sunday, daylight saving time will start all over again.

Exactly why it’s not “savings”
According to USA Today, the correct term is daylight “saving” time, not savings time. But the wrong “daylight savings time” is often used, particularly in the US, Canada, and Australia. The Associated Press stylebook specifies that it should be written in lowercase, not capital.