“War Time” Begins On Sunday in Washington

Well, here we go again, another year of setting our clocks back and forth, and for most years since the end of World War II, there hasn’t been a good reason for Daylight Saving Time, aka, “War Time”.  Sure, most of us enjoy the extra daylight in the warmer months, right?  Personally, that’s a good enough reason to lose an hour of sleep – but that’s where the battle begins – there are varying opinions in the universe.

How Did Daylight Saving Time Start?

According to History.com, President Roosevelt implemented the time change during the First World War – mainly to conserve fuel and to better utilize our Nation’s resources during daylight. It was officially named the 1918 Standard Time Act, but most Americans dubbed it, “War Time”.

The time change practice stopped after World War I in most states, but some opted to keep it in place. Needless to say, there was confusion regarding time from state to state.

What States Don't Practice Daylight Saving Time?

When World War II broke out, legislation was passed again and Daylight Saving Time was imposed for an entire year. When the war ended the practice was discontinued and states went back to their individual standard times. In 1966 legislation was passed to put all states on one standard time – and here we are 56 years later and only a few states have stopped changing their clocks every spring and fall and those include Arizona and Hawaii.

Washingtonians Will Have to Wait For a Daylight Saving Time Waiver

When will Washington State and the rest of the country follow Hawaii and Arizona?  Well, it’s in the hands of Congress – so it could be a while.  What’s frustrating is Washington State legislators have been waiting for a waiver from lawmakers in DC for nearly three years, so they can pass a bill that would change Washington to Daylight Time permanently.

Washington Could Move to Standard Time at Any Time

Since we’ve heard nothing but crickets from the folks in Washington DC, Washington State is considering keeping us on standard time for good. Evidently, the state could make this move without a federal waiver or a vote of the people at any time.

For now, the message remains the same, “don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday”. 2:00 am will become 3:00 am on Sunday.