- The time change in autumn does not take place until November.
- The time change in spring is in March.
- Daylight saving time was originally introduced to save energy.
Don’t let the shorter days and (for some) cooler temperatures fool you. It’s not time to “fall behind.”
The first day of fall does not immediately mean the end of daylight saving time. That only happens in November.
Here you can find out everything you need to know about the time change and the change of seasons.
What is the point of daylight saving time?
– For some, there is none at all. In a survey conducted by online polling company YouGov last year, 62% of respondents said they would like to abolish the twice-yearly time change. Surveys from previous years have reached similar conclusions.
– Daylight saving time was first adopted in the United States in 1918 to save energy during World War I. There were delays over the years, and it was officially adopted into law in 1966. Today, daylight saving time begins with the change to standard time on the second Sunday in March and ends with the change to standard time on the first Sunday in November.
-This year the time change in autumn will take place on November 3rd.
What our senior meteorologists say about the time change
-Chris Dolce: “These early sunsets make me frown, as I enjoy having daylight until the early evening. On the other hand, for us as meteorologists, it means we get access to current model data an hour earlier, and that’s handy when we want to investigate possible changes to the forecast.”
-Linda Lam: “I’m counting down the days until we return to standard time! The earlier sunsets are wonderful for winding down earlier and make it easier to fall asleep. I’m also looking forward to the earlier sunrises. The earlier sunlight makes it easier to get going, as opposed to the long darkness in the morning.”
-Dina Knightly: “As a meteorologist who has worked early mornings for decades, I like it to get dark earlier so I can go to sleep more easily at night. Plus, people aren’t out mowing grass or making noise. Now that I’ve moved to a more normal shift and don’t have to go to bed so early, I’m very torn and don’t know what to do with myself!”
What you should know about the autumn weather
– A warmer than usual fall is expected across most of the U.S., especially New England, the Great Lakes, the Midwest, and the Southwest. The Northwest corner may be an exception, with slightly below-average temperatures expected for Washington, parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Find our full fall temperature forecast here.
-Fall brings us closer to the end of hurricane season, but of course that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down if you live on the coast. Since 1950, 19 hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. in October, including Category 5 Michael in 2018 and Category 3 Zeta in 2020.
-In some places, fall is the first measurable snow of the year. This usually occurs first in the higher elevations of the West. At least one-tenth of an inch is considered measurable snow.
MORE ON WEATHER.COM
–Weather changes expected in autumn
–Fall foliage map tracker
–Five things about autumn
Reporter from Weather.com Jan Childs covers breaking news and features on weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
