Time to ‘fall back’? When does daylight saving time end in California?

Get ready to “fall back” California. The day when we get to throw the covers over our head and relish in that extra hour of sweet slumber is upon us.

Time to say goodbye to daylight saving time and replace dining alfresco beneath the fading golden twilight with eating our dinner indoors with all the lights on.

In 2024, the end of daylight saving time and beginning of standard time is on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 a.m.

Earlier this year, daylight saving time began at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 10.

We gain an hour in November (as opposed to losing an hour in the spring) to make for more daylight in the winter mornings. 

How did daylight saving time begin?

Initially known as “war time,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense, daylight saving time was first introduced in the United States in 1918 under the Standard Time Act as a measure to save on fuel costs during the First World War by adding an extra hour of sunlight to the day, according to the Library of Congress.

The U.S. abandoned daylight saving time at the federal level after the end of World War I, seeing no financial need, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

States that wanted to continue observe the daylight saving locally had the option to do so.

How was the length of daylight saving time set?

In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, standardizing the length of daylight saving time.

The Department of Transportation said daylight saving time saves energy, prevents traffic injuries and reduces crime.

The DOT oversees time zones and the uniform observance of daylight saving time because the railroad industry first instituted time standards.

Has the end of daylight saving time changed?

No, you are not remembering incorrectly, the end of daylight saving time has shifted.

Originally, daylight saving time began on the last Sunday of April and ended on the last Sunday of October, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

In 2005, Congress amended the Uniform Time Act to expand daylight saving time to the period in effect today.

Now daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November, according to the Congressional Research Service.

This move was for energy-saving purposes. 

A Department of Energy study following the amendment’s implementation found the extra four weeks of daylight saving time saved around 0.5% in total electricity daily in the U.S., equaling energy savings of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours annually. 

 Will California ever get rid of daylight saving time?

There is a move among the state legislature to get rid of daylight saving time and keep standard time all year round.

Assembly Bill 1776: Year-round standard time was introduced by Assemblymember Tri Ta of Orange County earlier this year in January.

“Changing clocks twice a year is not only frustrating, but it’s dangerous for drivers and contributes to our state’s mental and physical health crises every year. When voters passed Proposition 7 overwhelmingly in 2018, they did not expect the Legislature to stall the will of the voters by refusing to take up this important measure,” said Assemblyman Ta, in a statement at the time.

In 2018, Proposition 7 passed in California with nearly 60% of the vote, calling on the Legislature to end twice-yearly time changes. According to several studies, time changes are linked to increases in vehicle accidents, seasonal depression, and other severe health issues, the statement continued.

The bill would require the state and all political subdivisions of the state to observe year-round standard time.

If the bill passed, it would put California in keeping with other states and U.S. territories that do not adhere to daylight saving time: Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation), Hawaii and territories Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.