RICHMOND, Va. — This is the weekend when we “spring forward” one hour to observe Daylight Saving Time.
This will occur at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11. The time of 2 a.m. was originally chosen since it was thought it would be the least disruptive to most people’s lives.
We lose an hour of sleep, balancing out that extra hour gained in the autumn. Some overnight workers enjoy a shorter shift, making up for the longer shift when the clocks got switched in autumn.
Here is how the clock change affects the sunrise and sunset times:
The purpose is to save daylight for the end of the day and evening activities. This is why it is daylight saving, and not daylight savings.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed when we switch the clocks. Since 2007, we spring forward the clocks one hour on the second Sunday in March to Daylight Saving Time, and we fall back one hour on the first Sunday in November to Eastern Standard Time. This extended the amount of time during the year that we observe Daylight Saving Time. Prior to 2007, we used to change the clocks the first Sunday in April and the last Sunday in October.
This is also a great time to replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
