CASE #008: The Extra Hour

Do clocks go back or forward when daylight saving time ends in the US?

The parties are fictional. The evidence is real.

VERIFIED FACTS

Every sentence here links to an official source you can open.

The verdict

NOT GUILTY

Back. NIST, the US national standards lab, says daylight saving time ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. At 2 a.m. the local time becomes 1 a.m. and that hour is repeated, so there is an extra hour in that day. In 2026, daylight saving time runs from March 8 at 2 a.m. to November 1 at 2 a.m. (local time).^[1]

1 official source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)Checked Oct 29, 2026

The evidence

An analog clock with its hands turning backward, next to a pillow

Exhibit A

NIST: daylight saving time ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November.

Exhibit B

NIST: at 2 a.m. the local time becomes 1 a.m. and that hour is repeated, so there is an extra hour in that day.

Exhibit C

NIST: DST is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the state of Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe DST.

Questions people ask

When does daylight saving time end in 2026?

November 1 at 2 a.m. local time, according to NIST.

Do you gain or lose an hour of sleep in November?

The clock goes from 2 a.m. back to 1 a.m., so NIST says there is an extra hour in that day.

Which states do not change their clocks?

NIST lists Hawaii and Arizona, except the Navajo Indian Reservation, plus American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

DRAMATIZATION

This part is made up for fun. Names, people and events are fictional.

The case

A confused roommate holding an alarm clock and a smug roommate hugging a pillow

PlaintiffThe Roommate Who Set the Alarm Early

DefendantThe Roommate Who Planned to Sleep In

Timeline

Sat 11:00 PMThe plaintiff sets an alarm an hour early to make up for the hour we lose tonight.
11:01 PMThe defendant laughs and announces a plan to sleep in.
Sun 1:30 AMBoth are still awake, arguing. The clock reaches 1:59.
Sun 1:00 AMThe clock reads 1:00 again. The plaintiff files a complaint, very confused.

The claims

Plaintiff: The Roommate Who Set the Alarm Early
Spring forward, fall back, or fall forward? I always get it wrong, so I set it early to be safe.

Defendant: The Roommate Who Planned to Sleep In
Fall back. We get an hour. I am spending mine asleep.

A pug judge in a powdered wig hears a sleepy roommate holding an alarm clock accuse a roommate hugging a pillow

The court's sentence

NOT GUILTY. ENJOY THE EXTRA HOUR.

SentenceThe plaintiff is sentenced to one extra hour of sleep, to be served immediately. The alarm clock is ordered to update itself, or be updated by hand.

Sources

Source 1
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Daylight Saving Time Rules
www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst
Published Feb 9, 2026Checked Oct 29, 2026
During 2026, daylight saving time is in effect from March 8 at 2 a.m. (local time) to November 1 at 2 a.m. (local time). ... ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November ... at 2 a.m. the local time becomes 1 a.m. and that hour is repeated, so there is an extra hour in that day. ... DST is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the state of Arizona (with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe DST).