Spring forward March 9: Daylight savings time returns

Spring forward March 9: Daylight savings time returns

By Cornelia de Bruin The Daily Times
Article Launched: 03/03/2008 12:00:00 AM MST

FARMINGTON — Unless you enjoy being teased — or late to church — mark March 9 on your calender or engrave it on your contact lenses so you don't forget to change your clocks the night before.

March 9, this Sunday, marks the beginning of daylight-saving time. This is the second year that adds four weeks of "spring forward" time. It's because of the Energy Policy Act passed by Congress three years ago.

Legislators intended the four extra weeks to save about 280,000 barrels of oil — 10,000 each day. The change takes daylight-saving time up to Nov. 2.

There's historical precedent for the change.

The spring/fall time change began during World War 1, put into effect to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. It was reinstituted during World War II for the same reason.

Following about a decade of confusion, while states and communities debated the merits of springing forward and falling back, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to
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standardize the length of daylight-saving time in 1966.

The change didn't completely simplify time-keeping, however.

Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa, closer to the equator than the continental U.S. and Alaska, opted not to tinker with their clocks. The amount of sunshine they receive during the year is more consistent at their lower latitudes.

Arizonans, who stoically suffer through consistent summer high temps they call "hundred-and-hell" degrees, decided years ago their extra daylight hours could come early in the morning. Visitors to their state are startled when the sun rises as early as 4:30 a.m. around June 21, the Summer Solstice.

Indiana used to be among the exceptions. Its Legislature passed a measure that shifts the time in some north-eastern counties and the counties near Louisville Kentucky to shift from Eastern to Central time without resetting their clocks when the rest of the country leaps ahead in the spring and reclaims its lost hour in the fall.

Not to be left out of the picture, the European Union shifts to Universal Time on March 30 and back to regular time Oct. 26.

Time officially changes at 2 a.m., the hour chosen because it seemed least interruptive to schedules. March 9 at 1:59 a.m. the time will magically become 3 a.m., reversing the process Nov. 2.

It's a bit problematic for bars and nightclubs, some of which serve liquor after 2 a.m.

Many states prohibit the sale of alcohol after 2 a.m. — the hour the country reverts to Standard time each fall. Officially the bars do last call at 1:59 a.m. to stay legal. In practice, however, many establishments bite the bullet and stay open an hour longer.