Don't forget to set your clocks BACK on Sunday, November 7, at 2:00 am, which marks the end of Daylight Saving Time.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Daylight Saving Time, or DST, is the period of the year when clocks are moved one hour ahead (this year, March 14 - November 7). In the United States, this has the effect of creating more sunlit hours in the evening during months when the weather is the warmest. We advance our clocks ahead one hour at the beginning of DST, and move them back one hour ("spring forward, fall back") when we return to Standard Time (ST). The transition from ST to DST has the effect of moving one hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. The transition from DST to ST effectively moves one hour of daylight from the evening to the morning.
Daylight saving time was introduced in the U.S. in 1918, and then the Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the length of daylight saving time in 2007 as an effort to reduce energy consumption, according to the Institute.
Daylight Saving Time will begin again on March 13, 2022.
SAFETY TIPS:
It's a good time to get your bi-annual tasks done. Think about doing these things when you reset your clocks:
- Check and replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Replace any smoke alarms older than ten years. Replace any CO alarms older than five years.
- Prepare a disaster supply kit for your house (water, food, flashlights, batteries, blankets, important documents). Once you've created your home disaster kit, use the semi-annual time change to check its contents (including testing/replacing flashlight batteries and adding new important documents).
- Check home and outbuilding storage areas for hazardous materials. Properly discard any materials which are outdated, no longer used, or in poor condition. Move any materials which are within reach of kids or pets.
- Check and discard expired medications. Some very common over-the-counter medications can cause serious problems due to change through aging. Read the Your Prescription Medicine: Tips for Safe Storage and Disposal to find out the proper way to dispose of medication.
For more information on Daylight Saving Time, visit these sites: