It's the end of October, which means we'll soon have to turn our clocks back an hour. For those of us who need reminding, the popular phrase “jump forward, fall back“helps us remember that we need to set our clocks back an hour to mark the official return to standard time.

This return to standard time will also mean we can get back a much-needed hour of beauty sleep Chaos in biological clocks. Ask anyone who has a small child – or worse, a cat – in their household. These little rulers don't like schedule changes and prefer to stick to their feeding schedules exactly. Therefore, those of us who know the impending tantrums prepare ourselves.

What is Standard Time?

The official time is changed to better reflect the hours of sunshine in winter. In summer the days are longer, so we “jump forward” to get more sunlight in the evenings. But in winter the days are shorter and it gets dark earlier. That's why we're setting the clock back to “fallback” and ensuring that the population can enjoy daylight in the morning.

This tradition arose at a time when electricity and light bulbs were not yet available in every home, and was therefore an effective way to reduce the need for candles.

When will we return to standard time in 2024?

On Sunday, November 3, 2024, the time will change to standard time. At 2:00 a.m. the clocks go back one hour. If you rely on smartwatches, smartphones and computers, there is no need to worry. Most of them adjust automatically thanks to built-in calendars that detect the change.

However, if you subconsciously rely on your oven's clock or have an inherited cuckoo clock in your hallway, be careful and carefully change the time upon waking on Sunday, November 3rd.

If you've already purchased a 2025 calendar (and like to plan ahead), you may also want to mark the next hour change. Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 9, 2025, when clocks go forward one hour, and ends on Sunday, November 2, when they go back again.

Summer time in the USA

While 48 states use the Daylight Saving Time (DST) system, some areas and territories in the United States prefer to maintain standard time year-round.

In Hawaii, for example, with its stable daylight hours, there is little need to adjust your schedule to seek more evening daylight. This state is geographically closer to the equator, where the length of day and night does not fluctuate so much throughout the year. Since 1967, Hawaii has used standard time year-round.

Although Arizona is nowhere near the equator (in fact, it lies between latitudes 31° 20′ N and 37° N), this is not observed Summer time change because of his hot desert climate. In a place where 645 heat-related deaths were recorded in 2023, the population actively avoids being outdoors during peak hours when the sun is at its highest. In fact, Arizona residents benefit from having fewer hours of blazing sun.

Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and even the Northern Mariana Islands observe standard time year-round. Why, you say? Because all of these areas are close to the equator, where the length of day and night does not fluctuate so much throughout the year. So a time change would only cause slight chaos twice a year.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Europe

However, Europe does not change the time on the same day as the USA. It doesn't even happen in the same week!

While Daylight Saving Time changes on Sunday, November 3, 2024, this time change in Europe will occur a week earlier, on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 1:00 a.m. UTC. If you are a North American citizen living abroad at this time, be aware of the calendar differences!

Very few people – or creatures – like daylight saving time. In the past, dairy farmers have publicly complained that cows do not respond well to changes in their milking schedule. In the meantime, those of us who don't like fiddling with our clocks (analog and internal) will have to move to Arizona or Hawaii.