This is the exact date that clocks change in the United States

Only a few days remain until the end of Daylight Saving Time in the US in 2024. When exactly will the time change? Here's what you should know.

In the United States, people change their clocks twice a year: once to start daylight saving time and once to end it and return to standard or winter time.

Every year, Daylight Saving Time in the United States begins on the second Sunday in March. In 2024, this change occurred at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10, with clocks set forward one hour. This is where summer time ends and winter time officially begins.

In the calendar, however, the switch back to standard time is getting closer and closer. The clocks will change on Sunday, November 3, 2024. The daylight saving schedule ends and does not return until March 9, 2025 (also a Sunday, as usual).

When exactly does the hour change?

The hour change to standard time will occur on Sunday, November 3, 2024. Clocks will go back one hour at 2:00 a.m. If you use smart devices, they will likely adjust themselves thanks to the built-in calendars.

However, if you rely on other clocks, such as those from ovens or an inherited grandfather's clock, be sure to reset them carefully after waking up on Sunday, November 3rd.

Do I have to reset my clocks this fall?

Well, it all depends on your location. If you are outside the mainland United States but live in a U.S. territory, you do not need to change your clocks.

Places like Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and even the Northern Mariana Islands observe standard time year-round. Why, you ask? It's simple: these areas are located near the equator, where the length of day and night remains fairly constant throughout the year. Changing the time only twice a year would cause unnecessary confusion.

Since there is no need to conserve daylight, these communities have chosen to forego it Summer time. However, certain US states also do not observe daylight saving time. Arizona is one of them.

Arizona does not follow, even though it is far from the equator (it actually lies between latitudes 31° 20′ N and 37° N). Summer time because of his hot desert climate. In a state where… 645 heat-related deathsrecorded in 2023, people avoid spending time outdoors during peak sunshine hours. In fact, Arizona residents benefit from having fewer hours of intense, blazing sun.

However, this was not always the case; Arizona once followed daylight saving time. The state first implemented daylight saving time in 1918, but it caused such public frustration that the practice was abandoned forty years later. Today, only the Navajo Nation in Arizona observes daylight saving time.

Even Hawaii, with its much milder climate, does not change its clocks twice a year. Located just 1,375 miles north of the equator, Hawaii enjoys consistently warm, tropical weather year-round, eliminating the need for daylight saving time.

Just like Puerto Rico and Guam, Hawaii doesn't need additional daylight – there's already enough! In fact, in Hawaii the sun rises around 7:00 a.m. in the winter and around 5:45 a.m. in the summer. Since there is only a 70-minute difference between the sunrise times on the summer and winter solstices, it is easy to understand why Hawaii chose to forego daylight saving time.

However, it's not just areas near the equator (or those with a harsh climate) that reject the time change twice a year. Scientific organizations like the British Sleep Society have sent openly signed petitions to the British government to stop observing daylight saving time.

The reason? There is scientific evidence that the lack of natural light during our waking hours disrupts our circadian rhythms. The British government has refused to acknowledge the petition, so Brits and other citizens around the world will have to continue to deal with daylight saving time (at least for now).

So remember the date: Sunday, November 3rd. At the end of the weekend, be sure to check all your clocks and devices to make sure they are showing the correct time. If you miss this step, you could lose an hour of time over the next six months. The positive thing is that you gain an extra hour of sleep!