Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend: What to know about the change and cross-border travel

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends this Sunday, November 1, at 2am, when clocks are to be turned backward one hour to return to Pacific Standard Time.

The change means we will gain an hour of sleep, but it will also result in earlier sunrises in the morning and earlier sunsets in the evening.

DST currently remains a Washington state law. A 2019 bill passed by the Washington State Legislature stipulated that the state would transition to permanent daylight saving time if the U.S. Congress approved. However, federal legislation to end or alter DST nationwide has stalled, meaning states must continue the twice-yearly clock changes under the federal Uniform Time Act.

While states have the authority to exempt themselves and remain on standard time year-round—as Hawaii and most of Arizona have done—they are legally prohibited from adopting permanent daylight saving time without federal authorization.

While Washington residents prepare to fall back this weekend, our neighbors to the north have handled the clock changes differently. British Columbia adopted permanent, year-round Daylight Saving Time.

Because British Columbia will not turn its clocks back, a new international time difference takes effect starting this fall. From November through March, Vancouver, BC, and the rest of the province will remain one hour ahead of Washington, Oregon and the rest of the Pacific Standard Time zone.

This shift can be expected to impact cross-border travel and freight transportation schedules.

When to change clocks: Most electronic devices will update automatically, but manual clocks, wristwatches, and vehicle dashboards will need to be turned back one hour before bed on Saturday night, October 31, or early Sunday morning.
Safety check: Fire departments routinely remind residents to use the end of daylight saving time as a handy cue to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and replace their batteries.

Daylight Saving Time is expected to resume next year on the second Sunday in March.