As the calendar flips to October and the Chicago area begins seeing cooler temperatures and chilly nights, it’s natural to wonder when daylight saving time will end.
The annual rite of spring gives the area extra daylight at the end of the day, but the twice-annual clock change is right around the corner, meaning earlier sunsets as winter approaches.
Here’s what you need to know.
When does daylight saving time end?
Under provisions of the Uniform Time Act, daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in the month of November.
This year, that date will fall on Sunday, November 3, with clocks rolling back one hour at 2 a.m. While this means sunset will jump backward, it does also mean an extra hour of sleep, which is likely welcome news
What other milestones are coming up?
The city will drop below 11 hours of daylight on Oct. 17, and the sun will set prior to 6 p.m. just two days later on Oct. 19.
The earliest sunset of the year will occur in early December, setting at approximately 4:19 p.m. for several days before slowly drifting back later in the day as the month moves along.
Sunrise will continue occurring later in the morning, meaning the city will see less daylight each day until Dec. 21, when Chicago will get nine hours and seven minutes of daylight, slowly gaining a matter of seconds each day after that.
When does daylight saving time come back?
Daylight saving time will make its welcome return to the Chicago area on Sunday, March 9, the second Sunday in March.
By that point, the city will be experiencing nearly 12 hours of daylight again, and sunset will occur just after 7 p.m.