It seems like yesterday that we turned our clocks back an hour and gained an hour of sleep and lost an hour of sun during the return to standard time.
Now, switch gears and go in reverse. Either late Saturday night, March 8, or first thing Sunday morning, March 9, most of the country will set clocks ahead one hour.
Hawaii and Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Nation) as well as the territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa, are the only places in the United States that do not observe Daylight Saving Time but instead stay on standard time all year long.
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, daylight-saving time first began in 1918 during World War I to allow for more evening light and to save fuel for the war effort. Since then, the practice has been used on and off with different start and end dates. Last year, the practice was moved three weeks earlier than in previous years, as it remains this year.
For skiers it means better sun for afternoon skiing and for morning commuters it means once again leaving in the dark, but having more daylight hours upon arriving home. Playtime will benefit by elongated evenings. Daylight Saving Time saves energy as well. Studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation show that the practice trims the entire country's electricity use by about 1 percent each day, which is small but significant.
Daylight Saving Time will end on Nov. 2, two days after Halloween, which gives children daylight in which to trick or treat safely, and two days before the county's general election.
Ketchum police spokeswoman Kim Rogers suggested the start of Daylight Saving Time also makes a good time to change batteries in smoke detectors, carbon monoxide monitors and other such equipment.
"These need to be changed regularly and the time change is a good time to do it," she said.
