Daylight Saving Time 2024: When Does Washington Start?

Have you noticed that your sleep patterns are a little bit off because the days are getting shorter and shorter? My body always seems to feel that way when it gets close to Daylight Saving Time. (Remember kids, it's called daylight saving time, not "savings time".) This year, that day comes for us in November 2024. Only a handful of states don't bother switching their time zones for this: Arizona¹ and Hawaii². Lucky!

FUN FACT: Seattle was the first city in Washington to adopt daylight saving time in 1933, followed by Spokane. In 1952, Washington outlawed Daylight Saving Time, but in 1966, the United States Congress passed a federal law to make it a national time standard.

THE EASIEST WAY TO REMEMBER WHETHER YOU SET YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD AND BACK FOR DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

A long time ago, somebody told me to "spring forward" and "fall back". That was the easiest way I have found to remember what to do with those hour hands!

IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME GOING AWAY FOR WASHINGTON STATE?

"OPERATION DITCH THE SWITCH": Washington legislators have joined with bipartisan support to get rid of following the Daylight Saving Time ritual for years. Senate Bill 5795 didn't pass this year. Senators Padden, Dhingra, Fortunato, Holy, Lovick, McCune, Nobles, Short, Torres, Trudeau, Van De Wege, Wilson, J. and Wilson, L. sponsored the bill to exempt Washington all allow a year-round time zone for Pacific Standard Time (PST).

Sen. Manka Dinghra says that if our state legislators passed a law moving the state to Standard Time, we don't need United States Congressional approval.

I recommend you take a few minutes (13 minutes and 9 seconds, to be exact) to watch the committee meeting on the Senate State Government & Elections - TVW link.

You will learn a lot and hear why there is pushback from some voters here in Washington State, including the time zone impact it would have on Spokane. (Skip to minutes 13:04 and the discussion lasts to minute 26.15.)

DID YOU KNOW:

• Baker County in eastern Oregon is the only part of Oregon that observes Mountain Time because of its proximity to the Idaho border.

• Lewiston is the only city in Idaho that observes Pacific Standard Time because of its proximity to the Washington State border.

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DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME TIPS FOR PARENTS

Our bodies really don't like switching back and forth for Daylight Saving Time! If you have school-age kids, it's a good idea to gradually increase the bedtime for them and be consistent. This can help them be ready for gaining an extra hour of sleep without "complaining" too much about it (if all goes well, ha).

WHEN IS DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME 2024?

Thank goodness our cell phones automatically adjust for Daylight Saving Time, or I would be in a mess! Remember to set the clocks back one hour on your stove, your microwave, and in your car. (I always forget to do this!) This year, Daylight Saving Time is on Sunday, November 3rd.

FUN FACT: Did you know that in the United Kingdom, they call their switch back and forth for Daylight Saving Time, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and British Summer Time (BST)?

¹ The Navajo Nation in Arizona do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

² The following American territories do not observe Daylight Saving Time: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.