When does Daylight Saving Time end in 2022?
Winter is coming which means shorter days and once more most residents in the US and Canada will have to change their clocks. Here’s what you need to know.
Once again the bi-annual practice of adjusting clocks to adapt to the changing seasons is upon us. While in the spring we turn the clock forward to take advantage of the longer days now it’s time to turn them back as winter approaches.
Will this be the final time that Americans must observe Daylight Saving Time? Alas for the time being no. Although legislation was passed in the Senate to permanently end the practice, the Sunshine Protection Act is still awaiting a vote in the House before President Biden can sign it into law.
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When does the Daylight Saving Time end in 2022?
While the official end to Daylight Saving Time in 2022 is 6 November, since it occurs at 2 a.m. you may want to change any clocks that don’t automatically change before you go to bed on 5 November. However, not all Americans have to fuss with the hour change.
In the US, only 48 states observe the bi-annual practice which is supposed to save energy allowing more activities to take place in the evening without the need of electric light. For the time being, those in the affected states will want to mark the next change on their calendar in pencil, should the proposed law pass in the meantime, to not be catch off guard.
The next scheduled change in the US and Canada falls on the second Sunday in March. In 2023 that date will be Sunday 12 March when clocks may go forward again, if the House has still not passed the bill.
Which countries observe Daylight Saving Time?
The practice of following Daylight Savings Time from spring to fall is done in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres mainly further away from the Equator. Due to the tilt of the Earth the length of the day changes from season to season. Countries around the Equator don’t experience much of a difference, if any, to the amount of sunlight they get throughout the year.
Several countries have already abandoned the practice of turning the hour back and forth during the year. Russia, a very northern country where parts are in perpetual darkness or light for parts of the year, ditched the practice in 2010 citing health concerns for its citizens.
The US is one of around 70 countries that changes its clocks twice annually, but that number may be shrinking. The European Union is considering keeping perpetual Daylight Saving Time and had wanted to end the practice of adjusting the hour twice a year by 2021. The proposal was approved in 2018 but the covid-19 pandemic has delayed implementation of dropping Standard Time for good.
Unlike the US, resident of the European Union change their clocks on the last Sunday in March and October. So remember this if working out when a sport event begins on the continent.