At 2 a.m. Sunday, Daylight Saving Time comes to an end and clocks will revert back to standard time. People who hit the hay at a more reasonable hour may wish to set their own clocks, watches and alarms back Saturday night.
The switch means one less hour of daylight, with the sun setting around 5 p.m. No more catching sunsets on the beach for most nine-to-fivers — daylight may be long gone by then. No more taking Fido to the dog park in the evening or pre-dinner strolls through the neighborhood at dusk.
So what’s the deal with moving clocks back and forth twice a year?
According to the California Energy Commission’s Web site, setting clocks forward on the first Sunday of April helps save energy.
“A good percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home,” the site states. “By moving the clock ahead one hour, we can cut the amount of electricity we consume each day.”
The reason clocks move back in the fall is due to the fact that November through February are the darkest months of the year, and more lighting is needed in the morning.
Some states don’t observe Daylight Saving Time. Hawaii doesn’t change its clocks, and most of Arizona doesn’t either, except for the Arizona Navajo Indian Reservation. For some time, half of Indiana observed it and half did not because the state is split into two time zones, but now the entire state calibrates its clocks.
California asked for federal approval in 2001 to switch to Daylight Saving Time year-round, but the events of Sept. 11, 2001 caused the request to fall to the wayside, and nothing’s happened since. The state has yet to request again.
Victoria Ridley, who works at one of the carts on the Third Street Promenade, seemed confused about having to change her clock.
“I’m from England, so I see why they do it there or else children would be going to school in the dark,” the 21-year-old Westchester resident said. “But I don’t really see why people change their clocks here ... It’s light anyway.”
Starting next year, Daylight Saving Time will last about a month longer. It will begin at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and will last until 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November.
