Daylight saving time will officially end at 2 a.m., Sunday, November 7, so remember to move the time on your clocks back one hour the night before.
Although weathermen will inform you, correctly, that it will be lighter in mornings and darker earlier in the evenings, for most of us the change simply equals an extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning.
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Interestingly enough, the United States government doesn’t require states or territories to observe the custom. Nonparticipating entities include Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and Guam.
According to The Arizona Republic, prior to the passing of the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973, farmers petitioned to then-Governor Jack Williams for Arizona’s exemption from the law. These farmers were up early in the morning when temperatures were cooler and claimed that it was still too hot even at 9 p.m.
The Nixon administration subsequently granted Arizona, as well as Hawaii, exemption.
Of course, the main reason for daylight saving time in the United States is energy conservation – the idea being that more sunlight in the evening means that homes and stores won’t need to turn their lights on as early in the evening.
Consider some other benefits:
The City of Santa Clarita suggests using the extra hour to test your home’s smoke alarms, replacing the batteries and testing the hard-wired alarms for any kinks.
Alas, California does participate in the daylight saving system, so prepare yourself by turning your clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night.
Time will then spring forward one hour on March 13, 2011.