Goodbye to summer time change

In the United Stateswhile most countries change their clocks twice a year to daylighta few have decided not to participate in this practice.

Although daylight saving time is widely adopted, some states and territories have chosen to maintain standard time year-round.

In which states is there no daylight saving time?

• Hawaii: This island nation, known for its tropical climate and geographic isolation, does not observe daylight saving time. Due to its proximity to the equator, differences in daylight duration throughout the year are minimal, so there is no need to change the clocks.
• Arizona (except the Navajo Nation): Arizona has opted against daylight saving time due to its extremely hot climate. By not moving the clocks forward or back, the state minimizes heat stress during the hottest times of the day, resulting in less energy used for cooling. In particular, the Navajo Nation, which spans parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, adheres to daylight saving time, unlike the rest of the state.

US territories that do not change their clocks

• Puerto Rico: As a Caribbean territory, Puerto Rico is located at a similar latitude to Hawaii, where variations in daylight duration are minimal throughout the year and therefore does not observe daylight saving time.
• Guam: Standard time is also observed year-round in this US territory in the Pacific. As in other island areas, there are no large enough differences in the length of the day to justify a time change.
• American Samoa: Located in the South Pacific, this U.S. territory follows a similar pattern to Guam and Puerto Rico, maintaining standard time without changing the clocks.
• US Virgin Islands: These islands in the Caribbean do not observe daylight saving time due to the minimal variation in daylight hours.

Reasons for not introducing summer time

The states and territories that choose to Summertime We do this for practical and geographical reasons. In regions close to the equator, such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Guam, the variation in solar radiation throughout the year is so small that adjusting the clocks is of little benefit.

In Arizona’s case, the main reason is the climate. During the summer months, temperatures in the state can be extremely high. Following standard time helps reduce heat stress and the need for air conditioning, which in turn reduces energy consumption.

The Navajo Nation: An exception in Arizona

Interestingly, Arizona as a whole does not observe daylight saving time, but the Navajo Nation, which includes parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, does. This exception exists because the Navajo Nation chose to observe daylight saving time to maintain consistency with other areas of their territory that are outside of Arizona and observe the time change.

Future perspectives for summer time

While some states and territories have eliminated daylight saving time, the discussion about its usefulness continues to be a topic of national debate. In recent years, there have been efforts in several states to make daylight saving time permanent, although such changes require federal approval.

The different approaches to implementing daylight saving time in the United States reflect the different needs and geographic conditions of each state and territory. In the future, we may see more exceptions or even a nationwide change in timekeeping.