The end of daylight savings time is near. Get ready to set your clocks back an hour starting 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4.
Basically, if you're sick of dark mornings on your way to school or work, it'll be your time to rise and shine starting this weekend! But if you're one of those people (like me) who dread driving home in the dark, you're going to be out of luck for the next few months.
At 2:00 a.m. on the 4th – or the night before – the few analog clocks still around must "fall back" an hour, turning 1:59:59 a.m. into 1 a.m. Microwaves and ovens are on a short list of household appliances that will need a manual adjustment.
Since most of our computers, smartphones and DVRs do it automatically, it's not as much of a chore as it used to be.
Starting Sunday, that one hour of daylight is basically shifted from evening to morning as standard time begins.
We don't go back to daylight saving until Sunday, March 10, 2019, about 10 days before spring begins.
Supposedly, the purpose of daylight saving is to save energy, to save lives (by preventing traffic accidents), and reduce crime. However, the Sunshine State has been attempting to remain in permenant Daylight Saving time.
Florida passed a law in March moving the state to Daylight Saving Time year round. And even though Gov. Rick Scott signed it, it won't be going into effect now... or probably anytime soon.
The "Sunshine Protection Act" commits Florida to year-round Daylight Saving Time, but Congress has to allow it first.
In January, Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen explained why staying with one time would be not only less confusing, but beneficial. “Our visitors will be able to enjoy it and our restaurants and businesses will have another hour for people to enjoy the daylight and the beautiful weather that we have,” said Fitzenhagen.
Sen. Marco Rubio filed two bills soon after the legislation was signed.
One would exempt Florida from the "Uniform Time Act," allowing the state to make the switch to permanent Daylight Saving Time. The other proposes moving the entire country to year-round Daylight Saving Time.
Neither have gotten a hearing.
While many Floridians were unaware the new law didn’t change anything, most agreed with the law’s sentiment.
Currently most of Arizona, Hawaii, territories and various Native American nations are exempt from Daylight Saving Time.
So since we will still have to turn back this weekend, here are some fun facts about DST.
Here are 10 fun facts about daylight saving time you may not have known:
1. The U.S. first implemented daylight saving during World War I as a way to conserve fuel with the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act.
In World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented a year-round daylight saving time that was commonly known as "War Time."
4. The correct term is daylight "saving" (not savings) time.
5. The U.S. Department of Transportation is in charge of time in the U.S., including time zones and daylight saving time.
6. Daylight saving became a federal law in 1966, with passage of the Uniform Time Act.
7. Parts of Indiana didn't observe daylight saving time until 2006, when it became a law statewide.
8. Eight months of the year are in daylight time, and four months are in standard time.
9. Adults 65 and older may struggle with the time change more than others.
10. Daylight saving is observed in approximately 70 countries, including most of those in North America and Europe.