Daylight Saving Time 2017: Tampa Bay Area Clocks Spring Forward Soon

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Like it or not, Daylight Saving Time is almost here. That means Tampa Bay area residents will need to set their clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 12, to make sure they’re not late for work or school on Monday. How long it might take those internal time clocks to reset is another matter.

Daylight Saving Time remains in place until Nov. 5, 2017, when clocks once again “fall back” by an hour.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, Daylight Saving Time has been a contentious issue since its legal introduction in the 1918 Standard Time Act passed by Congress. The “spring forward” part of the law was repealed in 1919, but standard time rules remained in place.

“Daylight time became a local matter,” the observatory’s website says. “It was re-established nationally early in World War II, and was continuously observed from 9 February 1942 to 30 September 1945. After the war its use varied among states and localities.”

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 helped reduce some confusion by setting dates to start and end Daylight Saving Time each year, but it enabled localities to exempt themselves from springing ahead.

While some places across America do not observe Daylight Saving Time, such as Hawaii and Arizona, Florida is not one of those places. That means – ready or not – clocks spring ahead at 2 a.m. on March 12. When they do, local fire departments across the Tampa Bay area also recommend folks check their smoke alarm batteries while water departments suggest making sure to reset automatic lawn sprinkler timers, as well.

Are you looking forward to later sunsets? Tell us by commenting below!

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