Boone and Watauga County residents will transition out of Daylight Saving Time this Sunday, November 1, 2026, as clocks are set to revert to standard time at 2 a.m. This annual occurrence, often referred to as "falling back," marks the end of extended daylight hours and signals the approach of the winter season.
The current schedule for Daylight Saving Time, where it begins on the second Sunday of March and concludes on the first Sunday of November, was established by Congress in 2005. While the immediate effect for many is an extra hour of sleep, this recurring time change also highlights ongoing national discussions and legislative efforts concerning the permanent observance of either standard time or daylight saving time.
Since 2018, a significant number of states have pursued legislation regarding year-round time. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 19 states have enacted measures to provide for year-round daylight saving time. Such state-level initiatives are contingent on Congress allowing such a change, and in some cases, on similar legislation being enacted by surrounding states. For instance, Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Montana enacted relevant legislation in 2021. In 2020, Idaho (for its Pacific time zone only), Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming passed similar measures. Delaware, Maine, Oregon (for its Pacific time zone only), Tennessee, and Washington enacted their legislation in 2019. Additionally, some states, including Massachusetts in 2017 and Maine in 2021, have commissioned studies on the topic.
Federal law currently permits states to adopt permanent standard time but does not allow for permanent daylight saving time. This restriction influences the ability of states to implement their year-round daylight saving time legislation. The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, which aims to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, remains stalled in the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. Meanwhile, two states, Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, already observe permanent standard time.
The concept of Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. dates back to 1918. It was first introduced when President Woodrow Wilson signed it into law to support the war effort during World War I, according to information from timeanddate.com. After the war, between 1945 and 1966, the absence of a uniform approach to Daylight Saving Time led to widespread confusion for industries such as trains, buses, and broadcasting, as states and localities had the freedom to choose if and when they would observe it. To resolve this, Congress established the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which stipulated that Daylight Saving Time would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October, while still allowing states to be exempt through local ordinances.
In an effort to save energy following the 1973 oil embargo, the U.S. Congress extended Daylight Saving Time to a period of ten months in 1974 and eight months in 1975. A trial period at the time indicated that Daylight Saving Time saved the energy equivalent of 10,000 barrels of oil each day.
Looking ahead to the next cycle, Daylight Saving Time for 2027 is scheduled to begin at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 14, when clocks will once again "spring forward."