Daylight saving time 2024: When do we fall back? Why do we have time changes?

Fall is in full swing , pumpkin spice lattes are back, and temperatures will begin cooling down ...eventually.

As the days go shorter — and colder — and the sun rises later and sets earlier, many are looking forward to an extra hour of sleep. Here's what you should know about daylight saving time in 2024.

People are also reading: When will Texas get its first freeze? Here's what the Farmers' Almanac predicts

When do we fall back? When is daylight saving 2024?

In 2024, daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 . That will put us back into standard time and end Daylight Saving Time (DST).

When clocks reach 2 a.m. local time, they will go back one hour to 1 a.m. Many devices, such as phones and computers, will automatically change to standard time, but non-smart devices, such as microwaves and some car radios, as well as any clock with hands, will likely need to be changed manually.

When does daylight saving time start?

In 2024, we jumped ahead an hour on Sunday, March 10 . Next year, we'll do it again on Sunday, March 9, 2025 and fall back an hour on Nov. 2, 2025 .

Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday in March and ended on the first Sunday of November, as directed by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 . Before that, a 1986 law placed the time changes on the first Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October, according to the Astronomical Applications Department . Between 1976 and 1986, clocks moved forward on the last Sunday of April. In 1974 and 1975, daylight saving time began in January and February, respectively.

The U.S. first officially recognized daylight saving time in 1918, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Standard Time Act into law.

When is the shortest day of the year 2024?

The shortest day of the year is the first day of winter or winter solstice. In 2024, that takes place on Saturday, Dec. 21 .

Sunrise will get later, and sunset will continually get earlier as we reach winter, and there are fewer hours of daylight overall - the earth's tilt means the Northern Hemisphere points away from the sun.

More on winter forecast: NOAA's 2024-2025 winter forecast maps: What does La Niña mean for Texas?

What does daylight saving time mean?

The end of daylight saving time means there will be more light in the morning and it will get dark earlier in the evening. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier on Sunday, Nov. 3, than they were on Saturday, Nov. 2.

For most Americans, except for those in Arizona, Hawaii and a handful of other places , the end of daylight saving time means an extra hour of sleep Nov. 5. It also helps the country accommodate for more daylight in the mornings in preparation for winter.

How did daylight saving time start?

Daylight saving time (DST) claims a variety of other names: daylight savings time, daylight time, summer time (not to be confused with summertime ). It refers to the practice of setting clocks forward by one hour during the warmer months of the year, and then setting them back one hour in the fall.

One way to remember the pattern: " spring forward, fall back."

The idea dates back to World War I, although some credit Benjamin Franklin for daylight saving time due to a satirical letter he wrote in 1784 stating: "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually."

To maximize resources for the war, Germany and Austria implemented the first daylight saving time in 1916. The U.S. did the same in 1918. An outdated idea , some argue.

The general idea of daylight saving time is to maximize the use of natural daylight, according to the Almanac . This always occurs around the summer months. As the earth moves around the sun and is tilted on its axis, certain parts of the world experience longer days during certain months. For those in the northern hemisphere, like the U.S., these longer days run from March to November, with June to August seeing the longest days.

For those in the southern hemisphere, such as Australia , the seasons are reversed: June through August mark winter months and are therefore the shortest of the year.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Daylight saving time 2024: When do we fall back? Why do we have time changes?