If someone asks you "what time is it?" on Sunday, think twice before answering: Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends this weekend, and we revert back to Standard Time. That means we have to set our clocks back one hour either late Saturday or upon waking on Sunday.
Here's some information and links to learn more about Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time:
1. Officially, the change will occur in Great Falls and Montana at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 1. And since the Eastern and Central time zones make their change at 2:00 am in their respective time zones, your buddy in Boston or aunt in Florida will be only one hour ahead of you, instead of the usual two hours, for a little bit.
2. The history of changing clocks to maximize daylight goes back more than a century; even Benjamin Franklin advocated it.
3. Advocates and opponents of DST (and time-shifting in general) point to reduced traffic fatalities, energy savings, increased heart attacks, disrupted sleep, and other supposed benefits and drawbacks as evidence that we should or should not continue the practice.
4. Some people don't like the idea of tinkering with clocks twice every year; one proposal calls for eliminating the practice and instead dividing the contiguous U.S. into only two time zones. One Alaska legislator introduced a bill to exempt her state from observing DST, and a similar bill was introduced right here in Montana during the 61st legislative session. MT State Senator Terry Murphy (R-Cardwell) was the sponsor of SB 177; the bill was tabled in committee and never made it to transmittal. You can read the full text of the bill here.
5. Most cell phones, handheld devices, and computers will automatically update the time; if yours doesn't, try turning the power off and then re-starting the device. If that doesn't do the trick, check out the manufacturer or service provider website for assistance.
So what do you think? Do you like the current system of "springing forward" an hour in March, and "falling back" around Halloween? Would you rather keep standard time all year long?
