WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) — Americans will get an extra hour Halloween weekend when daylight saving time ends, despite years of congressional efforts to eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes.
Clocks will turn back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 1, 2026, returning to 1 a.m. Throughout West Virginia, the change will mark the return to Eastern Standard Time.
Residents who adjust their clocks manually can set them back before going to bed Saturday, October 31. Most smartphones and computers update automatically when their automatic time settings are enabled, while appliance clocks, watches and vehicle clocks may need attention.
Why are Americans still changing their clocks?
Congress has repeatedly considered ending seasonal time changes, but lawmakers have not completed the process needed to make a permanent change federal law.
In March 2022, the Senate unanimously approved a version of the Sunshine Protection Act that would have made daylight saving time permanent. However, the House did not vote on that legislation before the congressional session ended, and the bill expired.
This year, the situation has reversed. The House approved the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14 by a bipartisan vote of 308–117, sending the proposal to the Senate. It would end the fall return to standard time in participating states.
But the measure remains stalled in the Senate. As of October 25, it has not cleared both chambers or become law, leaving the November 1 clock change in place.
The disagreement is over which time to keep
Ending clock changes and adopting permanent daylight saving time are related but different decisions.
Permanent daylight saving time would preserve later sunsets by the clock during winter. Permanent standard time would instead provide earlier winter sunrises.
Supporters of year-round daylight saving time favor additional evening light for recreation and other activities. Opponents, including Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, warn that the arrangement would produce very late winter sunrises and leave more children traveling to school in darkness.
That disagreement has complicated efforts to turn frustration with changing clocks into agreement on a replacement.
What the November change means
Once clocks fall back, sunrise and sunset will occur about an hour earlier by the clock. The adjustment does not create or remove daylight; it shifts how daylight aligns with daily schedules.
Under the current federal schedule, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Unless the rules change, Americans will continue to spring forward and fall back.
