The wait continues on whether Northern Californians and other Americans will stop changing their clocks twice a year.
The U.S. House voted 308-117 on July 14 to make daylight saving time permanent, sending the bill called H.R. 139 to the Senate for consideration.
The Senate version of the bill — S. 29 — has been in limbo since it was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Jan. 7, 2025.
While President Trump has signaled support of making daylight saving time permanent, getting enough senators to vote in favor of the measure remains questionable.
Here’s what making daylight saving time permanent in Shasta County and Northern California could mean.
When is daylight saving time?
Under daylight saving time, the clock moves forward one hour at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March.
At 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, the clock is moved back one hour.
Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know.
Would permanent daylight saving time mean more or less sunshine in California?
California would see the same amount of daylight no matter whether its daylight saving or standard time. The difference is when that daylight occurs.
Permanent daylight saving time in California would mean darker mornings in fall and winter — with winter sunrises happening as late as 8:30 a.m. and more light in the evenings.
Summers would be as they are now, with bright early mornings and long evenings, with plenty of time to be outside after work.
California sunrises, sunsets under permanent daylight saving time
Here’s when Redding can expect sunrise and sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year.
The longest day of the year, the summer solstice, is on June 21. The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, is on Dec. 21. Using the times provided by timeanddate.com, here’s what would happen in 2027 if daylight saving time were made permanent.
Summer solstice on June 21, 2027
Winter solstice on Dec. 21, 2027
What difference would Redding residents ‘see’ in winter if daylight saving time were permanent?
The most obvious change Redding and other California residents would notice if daylight saving time were made permanent is darker winter mornings and brighter winter evenings.
Instead of the sun coming up around 7 a.m. in December and January, many Californians would see sunrise closer to 8 a.m. or later. That means more people heading to work and kids waiting at bus stops in the dark — an issue raised by several safety experts and legislators.
At the end of they day, sunset would be later, closer to 6 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. as it is now. That extra light is favored by tourism and business advocates.
What difference would Shasta County residents ‘see’ in summer if daylight saving time were permanent?
Since the summer sun already rises relatively early in Redding — we currently have daylight saving time in the summer — residents wouldn’t notice any change if daylight saving time were made permanent.
We would continue to enjoy bright mornings and long evenings.
We also would continue to see sunsets, often after 8 p.m.
Arguments made both in favor and opposed to permanent daylight saving time
Over the last seven years, 19 states have enacted legislation to provide for year-round daylight saving time, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
So why does the topic generate so much controversy?
Among those who oppose making daylight saving time permanent is Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas. Cotton warned permanent daylight saving time would mean the sun would rise at “dangerously late hours,” forcing kids to walk to school in the dark.
Medical experts also oppose permanent daylight saving time, saying it locks in a schedule that reduces morning light, worsens circadian misalignment and extends the health risks already seen with daylight saving time. Instead, they favor permanent standard time.
Proponents of making daylight saving time permanent include Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida, who said people in his state “voiced overwhelming frustration with the outdated practice of changing the clocks twice a year.”
“Permanent daylight saving time will provide Americans with greater stability and more usable daylight hours throughout the year,” he said.
How permanent daylight saving time would impact northern U.S. cities
Since parts of California are close to the equator, sunrises and sunsets and the length of days won’t change as much in San Diego or Los Angeles as they would for cities farther north.
Here’s what permanent daylight saving time would mean for two U.S. cities in the north.
New York City
Summer solstice on June 21:
Winter solstice on Dec. 21
Anchorage, Alaska
Summer solstice on June 21:
Winter solstice on Dec. 21:
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal, Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Shasta County sunrises, sunsets shift under permanent daylight saving
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jessica Skropanic and Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
