Spring Forward this Sunday

By WYDaily Staff Saturday, March 13, 2010

Tomorrow is the second Sunday in March, and while it seems early it really is time to spring forward those clocks.

Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, which means all clocks get pushed forward an hour.

Local fire safety officials are urging residents to use the spring time switch as a reminder to check their smoke detector batteries and replace if necessary.

The latest incarnation of Daylight saving time - clocks forward an hour on the second Sunday of March, clocks back an hour on the first Sunday in November, was established by Congress in 2005 for implementation in 2007. Daylight saving time used to start on the first Sunday in April, but Congress changed it to March as part of the federal Energy Policy Act adopted in 2005.

Daylight saving time began during World War I as a way to conserve energy. It stopped after the war, then was adopted again during World War II for the same conservation reasons.

After World War II the use of DST varied not just by state but locality, making for some interesting short trips where the wristwatch was changed multiple times to stay current. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized the dates for the beginning and end of DST, but allowed local decision-making whether to participate.