Daylight Saving Time is giving most of us an hour this weekend! Don’t forget

[Sunset]

We just set our clocks to awaken1/2 hour before sunrise as usual. It doesn’t feel or look any different!

Our day continues the same. We ignore the clock as we aren’t tied to any schedule or TV programming.

What time (I know you ignore clocks) do you go to bed ?

At my cabin (no electricity/tv) we tend to go to bed 2 hours after sunset, and wake up around sunrise, maybe an hour later as window doesn't face East.

 

[GrayHare]

I used to get up in the dark and return in the dark, but now I have FIRElight.

 

[imjustawarrior]

When I moved to Colorado, I couldn't believe how early it gets dark here on the earliest sunset (~Dec 9). There are 3 factors that impact the early darkness here:
distance north of equator
how far west of time zone boundary
shadow of the mountains

I celebrate the earliest sunset every year because I know it will only get better.

 

[braumeister]

I think the farther you live from the edge of a time zone, the less you care about DST. And vice-versa.

But at least it almost always generates a vigorous discussion whenever it's brought up!

 

[Music Lover]

When I moved to Colorado, I couldn't believe how early it gets dark here on the earliest sunset (~Dec 9).

Dec 21 or 22 is the shortest day of the year, which also the earlies sunset in the northern hemisphere.

 

[Gumby]

I really don't care but I do wish they would quit changing. Pick one and stick with it.

I just wish New England would move to Atlantic Standard Time and stay there. I don't care if it is dark in the morning.

 

[imjustawarrior]

Dec 21 or 22 is the shortest day of the year, which also the earlies sunset in the northern hemisphere.

You should check your statement with respect to earliest sunset.

 

[Calico]

Dec 21 or 22 is the shortest day of the year, which also the earlies sunset in the northern hemisphere.

Nope.

 

[Music Lover]

You should check your statement with respect to earliest sunset.

I was wrong, I had assumed that the earliest sunset would be on the shortest day of the year, that makes logical sense.

But according to this that's not the case:

Sunrise and sunset times in Denver, December 2025

Calculations of sunrise and sunset in Denver – Colorado – USA for December 2025. Generic astronomy calculator to calculate times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset for many cities, with daylight saving time and time zones taken in account.

www.timeanddate.com

I don't get it.

 

[imjustawarrior]

I was wrong, I had assumed that the earliest sunset would be on the shortest day of the year, that makes logical sense.

But according to this that's not the case:

Sunrise and sunset times in Denver, December 2025

Calculations of sunrise and sunset in Denver – Colorado – USA for December 2025. Generic astronomy calculator to calculate times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset for many cities, with daylight saving time and time zones taken in account.

www.timeanddate.com

I don't get it.

I doubt I can explain the why in proper terms, but I think it has to do with the earth being a rotating ball on a tilt. Sunrise is when the sun comes up in the east, and sunset is when the sun goes down in the west. The latest sunrise and earliest sunset do not align with the shortest day.

 

[Mark1]

I doubt I can explain the why in proper terms, but I think it has to do with the earth being a rotating ball on a tilt. Sunrise is when the sun comes up in the east, and sunset is when the sun goes down in the west. The latest sunrise and earliest sunset do not align with the shortest day.

Yup, and if I remember right that is why it takes for ever for the days to lengthen in January. Definitely, not intuitive.

 

[Midpack]

I don't really care. I'm OK with permanent standard time, permanent daylight saving time or biannual shifting. I've heard the arguments for all three, they all have pros and cons, old news. The only thing objectionable to me is living in a state with their own rules - e.g. permanent time where most states are doing biannual shifting - like Indiana did for years (no longer done). One practice for the entire US please.

 

[sengsational]

Solar noon today where I am is 1:07 PM. "Falling back" will put me closer to "where it belongs", at 12:07 PM, but I'm in the middle of the zone. Solar noon today for eastern US time zone runs roughly from 12:15 in eastern Maine to 1:30 in western Indiana.

For the Android people out there, you can get Ephemeris from the FDroid (open source) store. Nice to have when you're traveling and don't know when the sun will come up.

 

[braumeister]

One of the features available on my Apple Watch is to show the time of the next sunset in my location.
After that passes, it switches to the time of next sunrise.
I actually use it a lot and like it very much.
Upper left corner here:

And yes, I'm one of those annoying ex-military types who still likes the 24-hour clock.

 

[ls99]

I'll have to spend at least twenty minutes to reset a bunch of clocks, wrist watches around the house. Then the car, truck and suburban.
At least the four computers will do self service.

 

[Spock]

 

[audreyh1]

Ha! I personally don't. That's why I want it lighter out later in the day and not in those ridiculously early morning hours that I no longer have to get up at.

But that’s just it - those ridiculous early mornings did not change, just our clocks did. Your body will still be on the old time - why not stick with that?

I changed my alarm to 6:15am. This will wake me ~ 1/2 hour before sunrise just like today. We won’t experience any sudden “time change”.

 

[audreyh1]

We eat dinner at 4:30. Our kids would really protest if we started eating at 3:30. They wouldn't even be home from school yet. Our DD1 has stopped eating dinner with us because she says 4:30 is too early. DD2 is always hungry, so she is fine with first dinner at 4:30 and second dinner later.

If you have kids living at home and going to school there is no escape from the clock.

 

[audreyh1]

What time (I know you ignore clocks) do you go to bed ?

At my cabin (no electricity/tv) we tend to go to bed 2 hours after sunset, and wake up around sunrise, maybe an hour later as window doesn't face East.

One of the features available on my Apple Watch is to show the time of the next sunset in my location.
After that passes, it switches to the time of next sunrise.
I actually use it a lot and like it very much.
Upper left corner here:

View attachment 59562

And yes, I'm one of those annoying ex-military types who still likes the 24-hour clock.

Overall it’s driven by when I decide that I want to get up. I usually have a sleep time goal. We don’t have time based activities in the evenings like watching fixed time TV shows (we only stream on demand).

This summer since June I changed my wake up times every week or so based on how much later the sun was rising so we can update start walking before sunrise, but light out. Sunrise and sunset times operate in a sine wave pattern. Change is slow (small) at the solstices and faster at the equinoxes. I generally use the Weather Channel 14 day forecast which includes sunrise and sunset times each day in that forecast. Like braumeister shows it’s also displayed on my watch face, but just for that day.

 

[statsman]

I really don't care but I do wish they would quit changing. Pick one and stick with it.

I would find the time changes more tolerable if they switched to standard time the 4th Sunday in October and switched to daylight savings the 4th Sunday in March.

 

[audreyh1]

You should check your statement with respect to earliest sunset.

Right, the winter solstice and the earliest sunset do not occur on the same day.

In fact for us I also noticed that the equal hours daylight/night time day lagged the official fall equinox date by about 6 days. So it must be for a particular latitude that you have equal daylight night time on the equinox dates.

 

[audreyh1]

I'll have to spend at least twenty minutes to reset a bunch of clocks, wrist watches around the house. Then the car, truck and suburban.
At least the four computers will do self service.

We only have to change clocks on 2 appliances (very quick) and 1 weather display (still short) which does not receive an atomic clock signal. Actually doable in 5 mins. Everything else (all the important stuff) is automatically switched, including the car.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

But that’s just it - those ridiculous early mornings did not change, just our clocks did. Your body will still be on the old time - why not stick with that?

I changed my alarm to 6:15am. This will wake me ~ 1/2 hour before sunrise just like today. We won’t experience any sudden “time change”.

Because like I said originally I like it light out later in the evening.
I get that you get up early and therefore don’t “miss” the later evening light- but I do.

 

[audreyh1]

Because like I said originally I like it light out later in the evening.
I get that you get up early and therefore don’t “miss” the later evening light- but I do.

Well, to me it’s not getting dark an hour later in the evening unless you look at your watch.

The sunset times aren’t getting earlier by more than a minute each day. It’s our clocks that are suddenly changing by an hour.

 

[Ronstar]

We only have to change clocks on 2 appliances (very quick) and 1 weather display (still short) which does not receive an atomic clock signal. Actually doable in 5 mins. Everything else (all the important stuff) is automatically switched, including the car.

I have a 1917 pocket watch, a mantel clock that I made from a cheap clock face kit, a 2017 F-150 and a neon clock in my workshop to change. Same here - all doable in 5 minutes.