This Sunday, March 8, Texans will have to remember something many already do automatically, but which still manages to disrupt anyone’s routine: setting their clocks forward one hour before going to bed on Saturday. It’s “spring forward” time once again.
At 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, the official time will jump directly to 3:00 a.m., marking the start of Daylight Saving Time, which will remain in effect until the first Sunday of November.
For most residents with smartphones or computers, the change will be invisible; those devices adjust automatically. The real problem will be felt by those with wall clocks, analog alarm clocks, oven clocks, or car clocks, which are rarely remembered to update. It wouldn’t be the first time someone has arrived an hour late on a Monday in March.
Texas Clocks Spring Forward This Sunday
What everyone will notice, at least during the first few weeks, is that sunrise will be later. Anyone who has to leave at 7 a.m. will feel like the sun isn’t quite where it should be yet. This will normalize quickly, but the initial adjustment can be uncomfortable, especially for those who drive early in the morning or have children in school.
On the other hand, the evenings will get longer. By April, there will still be daylight well into the afternoon, which for many is one of the few tangible benefits of this change.
Texas’ DST Is the Same as in Other States
Daylight Saving Time in Texas follows the same federal schedule applied in most of the country since the 2005 Energy Policy Act adjusted the start and end dates. Before that law, the change occurred in April; since then, it has been moved to March.
The idea behind Daylight Saving Time has always been the same: to make better use of natural light to reduce electricity consumption in the evening. Whether that actually works is an ongoing debate, and every so often a study comes out saying that the energy savings are minimal or practically nonexistent.
One Area in Texas Will Spring Forward Differently
There is one exception within the state itself worth mentioning. The El Paso area, in far west Texas, operates on Mountain Time, not Central Time, so the change occurs anyway, but with a one-hour difference from the rest of the state. It’s not something that affects most people, but it can cause confusion for those with meetings or commitments that fall outside that time zone.
For now, it’s advisable to prepare for Sunday. Sleeping in a little earlier on Saturday helps lessen the impact of Monday. Checking clocks that don’t automatically update will prevent surprises. And if you have any meetings or commitments scheduled for early Monday the 9th, it’s worth confirming them, because there will inevitably be someone who shows up an hour late without quite understanding why.
