Daylight saving time 2023 ends this weekend. Here's how it affects Arizonans
Fall is finally here and that may have you asking: When does daylight saving time end?
Arizonans are among the lucky few Americans who do not have to shift their clocks and adjust to the time change when daylight saving time begins and ends. But we still need to know what time it is in other parts of the country.
The concept of daylight saving has been credited to Benjamin Franklin who, in a satirical letter for the Journal de Paris in 1784, stated he was surprised to see the sun rise at 6 a.m. Others say George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, suggested a two-hour shift for more time hunting bugs in 1895, according to National Geographic.
Although Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, all other states do, besides Hawaii. So here’s your rundown on daylight saving time.
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What is the point of daylight savings?
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, daylight saving time, or DST, is the concept of moving clocks forward one hour from standard time during the summer and then moving them back in the fall.
The reasoning behind this was to make the most of natural daylight, giving an extra hour of daylight in summer evenings and an extra hour in winter mornings.
When does the time change?
Daylight saving time always starts on the second Sunday in March. In 2023 it began on Sunday, March 12, at 2 a.m. This change shifts clocks forward to 3 a.m. uniformly across all time zones where DST applies.
Arizona (except for the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa will remain as they are with no time change.
When does daylight saving end?
Daylight saving time always ends on the first Sunday in November. In 2023, that falls on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 2 a.m., when observers will shift the time back from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m.
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Will Arizona have to change to daylight saving time?
States chose whether they wanted to remain on standard time or change their clocks twice a year through the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This has been in effect in the U.S. since 1967. Arizona was part of this act but rejected DST the very next year.
The state reverted back to standard time starting in 1968. However, the Navajo Nation does observe daylight saving time.
Since Arizona is often hot and sunny, the extra hour of daylight became unnecessary as it would mean energy consumption would rise and having to wait another hour to enjoy the outdoors after sunset.
Does the Navajo Nation observe daylight saving time?
The Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time to ensure that everyone on the reservation, which spans Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, is in the same time zone.
What states are getting rid of daylight saving time 2023?
As of August 2023, many states are in the process of either enacting permanent daylight saving time or standard time including Colorado, California, Maine, Washington and Tennessee.
Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Daylight savings 2023: When does the time change?
