Daylight Saving 2022: When Do Clocks Spring Forward In MA?

MASSACHUSETTS — Before we get too comfortable with lighter mornings, Massachusetts residents have to brace to spring forward.

Daylight saving time is just around the corner. This year, it begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, meaning later sunsets, longer-seeming days, and the twice-a-year hassle of changing the time on microwaves and ovens.

For those who don't know, daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward one hour from standard time in the spring, and back again in the fall, in order to make better use of natural daylight.

The basic point of daylight saving time is to make better use of natural daylight; however, not every state observes it.

Massachusetts is among the 48 states that observe daylight saving time, whether residents like it or not. Hawaii and Arizona don't observe the practice, although the Navajo Nation in the Grand Canyon State does.

But it's not a popular practice across the country. Americans by a 63 percent to 16 percent margin favoring ditching daylight saving time altogether, according to a recent Economic/YouGov poll.

Bills in the Bay State have been introduced to make daylight saving time year-round, but they never seem to get out of committee.

Proponents may argue that longer evenings motivate people to get out of the house. The extra hour of daylight can be used for outdoor recreation such as golf, soccer, baseball, running, and more. It also benefits the tourism industry.

However, critics say the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. The time change can mess with our body clocks and circadian rhythms, making for some restless nights and sleepy days. It also is difficult to quantify the economic cost of the collective tiredness caused by daylight saving time, but studies have found a decrease in productivity after the spring transition.

We'll have to switch our clocks back again this year on Nov. 6.

Patch writers Adam Nichols and Matt Troutman contributed to this report.