Get ready for longer days in NC. Here’s when daylight saving time starts
Daylight saving time is almost here, bringing longer evenings filled with sunshine — and this spring, the loss of an hour of sleep.
Most of the United States springs forward on the second Sunday in March and falls back to standard time on the first Sunday in November, and North Carolina follows the same schedule.
In 2026, clocks will move forward at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 8.
What is the purpose of daylight saving time?
As the name implies, daylight saving time is a way to save energy and light during the spring and summer months.
A study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that the four-week extension of daylight saving time in 2008 saved about 0.5% of the nation’s electricity per day, or 1.3 trillion watt-hours — enough to power 100,000 households for an entire year.
Studies have also shown that the extra hour of daylight has resulted in safer roads, lower crime rates, and economic benefits. Critics, however, say more dark mornings could lead to grogginess for commuters and parents who drive their children to school, especially in the winter.
Other concerns about daylight saving time included disruptions to harvesting schedules for farmers, interference with religious observances based on solar and lunar time, and potential delays in reworking computer systems programmed to switch twice a year.
Is daylight saving always the same time of year?
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established national start and end dates for daylight saving time.
However, the act allows states to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time under state law.
Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, observe permanent standard time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Portions of this story were previously published in The Charlotte Observer.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 11:24 AM with the headline "Get ready for longer days in NC. Here’s when daylight saving time starts."
