When does daylight savings time end and when do clocks ‘fall back’?
The clocks will change in just a few days to reaffirm to everyone that winter is well and truly on its way. Get ready for the swap.
In just one week, the bi-annual practice of adjusting clocks to adapt to the changing seasons will be upon us. While in the spring we turn the clock forward to take advantage of the longer days, it will soon be time to turn them back as winter approaches.
Will this be the final time that Americans will be observing 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 that would make Daylight Saving Time the norm all-year round has still not reached the desk of President Joe Biden.
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When does Daylight Saving Time end in 2024?
While the official end to Daylight Saving Time in 2023 is 5 November, you may want to change any clocks that don’t automatically change before you go to bed on 4 November. This is because the change occurs at 2 a.m. However, not all Americans have to fuss with the hour change.
In the US, 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 caught off-guard.
The next scheduled change in the US and Canada falls on the second Sunday in March. In 2024 that date will be Sunday, 10 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 Saving 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, residents of the European Union change their clocks on the last Sunday in March and October.