RICHMOND, Va. — Daylight Saving Time began at 2 a.m. this morning. Many electronic devices likely made the switch automatically, but all other manual clocks need to be pushed ahead one hour.
Here is how the time change affects the sunrise and sunset:
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.
The vernal equinox, the astronomical start of Spring, occurs next Sunday at 12:30 a.m. At that point, we will have gained more than two and a half hours of daylight since winter began.
