New Jerseyans will lose an hour of sleep on March 8, 2026, when Daylight Saving Time returns, despite growing public frustration with the biannual clock changes and ongoing debate about making the practice permanent.

At 2 a.m. on that Sunday, clocks will jump forward to 3 a.m. across most of the United States. The clocks will fall back on November 1, 2026, returning to standard time.

The sun will set at around 5:57 p.m. in New Jersey on Saturday, March 7. The following day, after the time shift and the end of standard time, sunset is at about 6:58 p.m.

However, the sun will rise nearly an hour later at about 7:21 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, after coming up at approximately 6:23 a.m. the previous day, making for darker mornings.

Spring officially arrives at 10:46 a.m. on Friday, March 20.

Feb. 4 marked the mid-point of winter. From here on, we’re closer to the spring equinox than the winter solstice, and the amount of daylight we have each day in New Jersey continues to increase.

The sun will set at 5:31 p.m. in Atlantic City and and 5:27 p.m. in Newark on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Hawaii and most of Arizona remain the only states that don’t observe the time changes, along with several U.S. territories including Puerto Rico and Guam. The Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time despite being located within Arizona.

While many Americans want to end the twice-yearly ritual, chronobiologists generally advocate for permanent standard time instead, arguing it better aligns people’s schedules with the sun year-round.

Till Roenneberg, a pioneering chronobiologist and sleep researcher, warned that permanent DST would make Europeans “dicker, dümmer und grantiger” (fatter, dumber, and grumpier).

“Any schedule that implies that you have to get up before sunrise may cause problems,” said Derk-Jan Dijk, a sleep and physiology professor at the University of Surrey.

The Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act in March 2022, which would have established permanent daylight saving time nationwide, but the House never voted on the legislation.

A similar bill, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 was introduced last January. The proposal would make Daylight saving time the new, permanent standard time.

Multiple states have passed laws supporting year-round daylight saving time, but they cannot implement the change without federal authorization.

The practice originated during World War I as a fuel-saving measure, not for agricultural purposes as commonly believed. The 1966 Uniform Time Act established the current national schedule after decades of local time chaos.

A 10-year-old boy recounted fleeing Thursday morning as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation began near his school bus stop in Lindenwold, New Jersey, saying, “We all were scared.” 

Dylan, who is a U.S. citizen, told CBS News it started as a normal day — until he heard his classmates suddenly start shouting “ICE.”

“Out of nowhere, people just start running, saying that ICE is over there, and everybody was running,” Dylan said. 

He told CBS News that agents started following him as he ran home. In a home security video, Dylan is seen frantically banging on the door, pleading for his mom to let him in. He said he was afraid ICE was trying get inside his home. 

Doorbell video from an apartment complex shows children running through the parking lot on Thursday morning. The Lindenwold School District said fourth- and fifth-graders were waiting at their bus stop when an ICE operation began at the complex.

CBS News has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment. 

“The presence of multiple enforcement vehicles caused significant fear and confusion, and several students ran from the bus stop,” the district told families in a social media post Thursday morning. “Our bus driver acted quickly and responsibly, circling back multiple times to ensure as many children as possible were safely transported to school.”

“ICE Agents are NOT at the Lindenwold School District,” the district added.

Community members in New Jersey gathered Friday afternoon to protest ICE. New Jersey Rep. Donald Norcross demanded more transparency, saying, “DHS has to come forward, be transparent. If you’re doing ‘the right thing,’ then there should be no problem.”

Dylan, like many others at the school, said the incident is hard to talk about “because I feel like they’re just going to come out of nowhere and take my parents.” 

Maria, a U.S. citizen whose children attend the local school, has lived in the area for more than a decade. She told CBS News the incident follows increased ICE activity in the neighborhood. 

“There’s a lot of kids right now, they’re traumatized, they don’t want to go to school,” Maria said. 

The school district said it’s providing counseling to any students who need it. 

With this winter’s freezing temperatures, many of us can’t help but daydream about the start of spring. And if you’re planning to take on any home projects once that time comes, now’s the time to start planning.

Whether you’re looking for a contractor to renovate your home, need expert insight on a DIY project or simply want some inspiration, the 36th Annual New Jersey Home & Garden Show is the place to be.

Running from Feb. 27 to March 1 at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, the show will feature nearly 200 home industry experts. This includes contractors, interior designers, landscapers, kitchen designers, HVAC technicians and more.

Exhibitors, which primarily consist of small businesses, come from companies that are both local to New Jersey and from other parts of the country. There is a full list of businesses that are expected to be in attendance available online.

“The show is like HGTV, Pinterest and a contractor referral list all smashed into one,” said Eric Udler, the producer of the New Jersey Home & Garden Show. “You can see everything and compare different professionals all in one place.”

Featured presentations

In addition to exhibitors, the New Jersey Home & Garden Show will also have featured guest speakers giving specialized presentations throughout the weekend, as it does each year.

Returning for the third year is Don Engebretson, a gardening and landscaping expert known as the Renegade Gardener. He’ll be giving presentations on two topics: “12 Pro Landscaper Tips I Bet You Don’t Know” and “Yes You Can! Landscape Design for Homeowners.”

Homeowners are invited to bring photos of their yards to his presentations, as he’ll be offering free tips and recommendations for improving the space. And on Saturday at 2 p.m., he’ll be doing so alongside Steve Trevelise of New Jersey 101.5.

“We never bring somebody back year after year. We’re always trying to get something new. But he keeps coming up with new ideas for us, which is great,” Udler said.