When is daylight saving time? It's almost time to change the clocks and spring forward

It is almost time to turn those clocks forward an hour to gain some much needed afternoon sunlight.

On Sunday, March 10, daylight saving time will start and will last until Nov. 3. While many people were hoping that 2023 would be the last year of the time change, it is still in place as Congress did not vote on it last year. This means we still have to lose an hour of sleep once a year.

Despite that, there are still longer hours of daylight to come along with that coveted warmer weather. Here is all you need to know about daylight saving time in 2024.

Which way do we move the clocks for March daylight saving time?

When daylight saving time starts in March, everyone should move their clocks forward. In November, clocks are moved back.

What states have abolished daylight saving time?

All states follow daylight saving except Arizona and Hawaii. Joining them, are several U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Countries that follow daylight saving time like the U.S. are Chile, Cuba, Haiti, Lebanon, Paraguay, New Zealand, Syria and parts of Australia.

Why don't we stay on daylight saving time year round?

The concept itself is only 106 years old but many Americans are pushing for permanent daylight saving time because after losing an hour in the fall, it gets darker earlier — even when people are still at work.

There was an attempt at making daylight saving time permanent in the 1970s, but the concept was repealed after two years because of its unpopularity. Many Americans were unhappy with having to drive to work and school in the dark every morning, as that was the consequence for having more light in the evenings.

The idea may be more ideal now that more Americans are trying to work from home and would not have to worry about driving to work before the sun is up, even though most people do already. Americans typically start their work day between 6 and 9 a.m. meaning that in December and January, most people are on the road and in the office by the time the sun is coming up.

Why was daylight saving time created?

World War I is the primary reason for daylight saving time. It was a way to conserve fuel for electrical power during the war. While it originally started in Europe, the United States adopted and held the first daylight saving time on Mar. 30, 1918. It was repealed in 1919.

It was again brought back during the second world war as a year-round wartime. This time around, it was not regulated by the federal government. This meant two counties right next to each other could be on daylight saving time at different instances during the year. Since there was no regulation, one county could start on March 1 and the county right next to them could start on April 1, meaning people traveling from one state to another could go through several time changes depending on the time of year.

This schedule lasted from 1945 to 1966 when the Uniform Time Act of 1966 was passed which set specific dates for when daylight saving was supposed to happen. It was to start on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October. States could pass laws to not participate if they chose.

Daylight saving as we know it today came about after the turn of the century. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended daylight saving time to begin on the second Sunday of March and end on the first Sunday of November.

Did we get rid of daylight saving time in 2023?

While dozens of states have started the process of moving away from daylight saving time changes, there have been no official moves toward actual legislation. While the Senate did approve the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, the act has not been been app roved by the House of Representatives yet. This is why we are still changing those clocks twice a year.

What would permanent daylight saving time look like?

The days would look different for each season as the Earth's position around the sun changes throughout the year. Let's take the each month that we use standard time for and see what sunrise and sunset would look like for each if we stayed on daylight saving year round.

On Nov. 5, 2023, the sun rose at 6:24 a.m. and set at 5:01 p.m. CST in Memphis. If there was no switch, the sun would've risen at 7:24 a.m. and set at 6:01 p.m.

On Dec. 5, 2023, the sun rose at 6:52 a.m. and set at 4:47 p.m. CST. In CDT, the sun would rise at 7:52 a.m. and set at 5:47 p.m.

On Jan. 5, 2024, the sun rose at 7:08 a.m. CST. In CDT, the sun would rise at 8:08 a.m. In the evening, the sun set at 5:01 p.m. CST. In CDT, this would be 6:01 p.m.

On Feb. 5, 2024, the sun will rise at 6:55 a.m. CST. If there were no change, the sun would rise at 7:55 a.m. CDT. This same day, the sun will set at 5:31 p.m. and switching to CDT would make it 6:31 p.m.

On Mar. 5, 2024, the sun will rise at 6:23 a.m. and set at 5:59 p.m. CST. In CDT, the sun would rise at 7:23 a.m. and set at 6:59 a.m.

Looking at the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, the sun rises at 7:03 a.m. and sets at 4:13 p.m. CST. If we were on permanent daylight saving time, the sun would rise at 8:03 a.m. and set at 5:13 p.m. On this day, there is only 7 hours and 40 minutes of sunlight.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: When is daylight savings time? Do I still need to change the clocks?