Daylight Saving Time: Love it or Lose it?
Over the years, Daylight Saving Time has become a controversial and highly debated issue. Much of the controversy stems from the question of where people would prefer the extra hour of daylight, in the morning or in the evening.
The notion of tinkering with the clocks first came to light in the 1600s, thanks to Benjamin Franklin. He felt that it would be more economical to utilize the natural light instead of candles. Today, conserving energy is still one of the main justifications for springing forward in March and falling back in November. However, many argue that the amount of energy conserved does not have enough of an impact to make adjusting the clocks really worth it.
Where do you fall in the Daylight Saving Time debate? Do you prefer it to be lighter out when you wake up or would you rather have that extra hour of sun in the evening hours? Take our AccuWeather Poll and get your vote out there!
As Daylight Saving Time begins, here are the changes in sunrise and sunset for these major cities in each time zone:
NYC-Sunrise at 6:21am changing to 7:20am. Sunset at 5:54pm changing to 6:55pm. Chicago-Sunrise at 6:16am changing to 7:13am. Sunset at 5:48pm changing to 6:50pm. Denver-Sunrise at 6:24am changing to 7:20am. Sunset at 5:58pm changing to 7:00pm. San Francisco-Sunrise at 6:33am changing to 7:30am. Sunset at 6:10pm changing to 7:10pm.
The time change signifies something that I think everyone can be happy about. Spring is just around the corner!
Here are a few temperature-related tidbits that will give you a perspective of how cold this winter has been for some, while also giving hope that warmth is on the way.
-Chicago will rise above 40 degrees this week for the first time since the the 7th of February and above 50 for the first time since December 26th. -NYC will rise above 50 degrees for the first time since the 4th of January. -Boston will rise above 40 degrees for the only the second time since January 19th. March 4th was the only other time Boston has been above the 40 degree mark since the middle of January. -Pittsburgh had a temperature departure from normal of -10 degrees in February. -Buffalo had a temperature departure from normal of -15.3 degrees in February.
Some local stats for Central Pennsylvania residents:
And of course, we can't forget about Lake Erie freezing over completely.
But even Lake Erie offers a tiny bit of hope that Spring is nearing, with ice coverage now down to 96% and some cracks developing, thanks to gusty winds.
Let us all take a collective sigh of relief. Winter is coming to an end and soon we will be wearing sandals and saying that it's too hot. Then we can just think back to the month of February and shiver a little to cool down.
Like the Storm Blog Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter for the latest updates: @AccuWxBeck
Report a Typo
