This weekend, residents across Wyoming can expect an extra hour of sleep as clocks turn back for the fall time change, KGAB AM 650 reports.
At 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 3, the state will shift from Daylight Saving Time (DST) to Mountain Standard Time (MST), following a tradition shared by most US states. However, two states—Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii—along with several US territories, do not participate in the biannual time change.
Daylight Saving Time, officially known as “Savings” without an “s,” was first implemented in 1916 by Germany and Austria to conserve fuel during World War I. The US adopted the practice briefly during both World Wars, and in 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, establishing DST as a recurring national event. In the 1970s, an oil embargo led to a brief attempt to implement year-round DST, but the law was repealed soon after. Subsequent legislation in 1986 and 2007 extended DST by one month, aiming to further conserve energy.
In recent years, public opinion has shifted, with many questioning the effectiveness and impact of DST. Modern studies highlight concerns about increased accident rates, heart health risks, and the toll on sleep patterns associated with the time shift. In Wyoming, these issues have been acknowledged. In 2020, the state passed legislation to observe DST year-round if three nearby states passed similar laws. Although 19 states have since moved to end biannual clock changes by favoring DST year-round, federal law only allows states to opt out of DST in favor of Standard Time without requiring federal approval.
Despite public calls for reform, Congress has yet to pass a bill allowing states to adopt year-round DST, leaving Wyoming and many other states in a holding pattern on the matter.
