2019 Daylight Saving Time Ends In The HV: When Clocks Fall Back

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3, in the Hudson Valley, which means earlier sunsets and shorter afternoons. That’s after Halloween and not before, as many people seem to believe.

The time change officially takes place at 2 a.m., but you don’t necessarily have to move the big hand on your clock behind an hour. The change is automatic for most smartphones, computers, tablets and other digital devices.

If you’re still using an analog alarm clock, you’ll most likely want to move it back before you go to sleep on Saturday, or when you wake up the next morning. The dog might let you sleep in.

It'll be at the chilly end of the holiday week in the Hudson Valley. According to the forecast from AccuWeather, Halloween will mark a drop in day and night-time temperatures — the low 50s during the day and into the 30s at night — that will continue through the first November weekend.

Not every state follows Daylight Saving Time. Most of Arizona and Hawaii, along with some U.S. territories, adhere to standard time all year long, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

Brief History of Daylight Saving Time

Ben Franklin is credited by many for being the first person to propose the concept of Daylight Saving Time centuries before it was implemented. The more modern variation of the practice, though, reportedly comes from an entomologist from New Zealand named George Hudson.

In 1895, Hudson proposed a two-hour time shift so he’d have additional daylight to go bug hunting in the summer, according to National Geographic.

The practice of Daylight Saving Time has been used sporadically in the United States since World War I. However, it took until 1966 for Congress to establish the Uniform Time Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson and federally declaring Daylight Saving Time to begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October.

The Dangers of Time Change

Longer nights mean more potential for drowsy driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows drowsy-driving crashes most frequently occur between midnight and 6 a.m., or in the late-afternoon.

The evening rush hour is already a dangerous time because the roads are crowded and drivers are eager to get home. With the dusk coming an hour earlier, be extra patient, stay in your lane and keep an eye out for drivers who are darting in and out of lanes. The National Sleep Foundation named Nov. 3-10, 2019 as Drowsy Driving Prevention Week — its annual outreach effort aims to reduce the number of drivers who decide to drive sleep-deprived.

Checklist

Use the time change as a reminder to check batteries in smoke detectors, clean furnaces and chimneys.