Daylight Saving Time 2025: When does Michigan 'spring forward'

(FOX 2) - That confusing time of the year when Americans lose an hour of sleep but gain a season of daylight is nearly upon us.

Beginning in March, Daylight Saving returns with clocks springing forward an hour early in the morning on Sunday.

Big picture view:

Clocks will spring forward an hour at 2 a.m. on March 9.

That means while most are asleep, any automatic clocks on smartphones and TVs will jump ahead to 3 a.m.

It also means the sun will rise and set later as well. For those in Southeast Michigan, the sun will emerge at 7:54 a.m. and set at 7:32 p.m.

Local perspective:

What does this mean for everyone in metro Detroit?

The first morning of Daylight Saving can be a little jarring with adults and kids waking up an hour later in the day. That can mean a rough turnaround on Monday with everyone operating on an hour of less sleep. 

It also means anyone getting used to seeing the sun when they wake up will be returning to darkness. On March 8, the sun will rise at 6:56 a.m. The next time the sun rises early will be mid-April.

But it also means the sun will be out longer for those getting home after a 9-5 work day. 

The backstory:

Daylight saving time is defined as a period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the country are set one hour ahead of standard time. According to federal law, it always starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

The practice of falling back in the U.S. started in 1918 during World War I as a way to conserve fuel. By moving the clocks ahead an hour, backers believed the country could divert a bit of coal-fired electricity to the military instead of using it for an hour of home power. It was reenacted in World War II.

It was repealed again when the war ended, but some states — and even some cities — continued to observe daylight saving time while others kept standard time year-round. That meant driving relatively short distances could result in a time change.

By 1966, airlines and other businesses tired of such quirks and pushed Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act. It codified daylight saving time, although it has been modified periodically.

Hawaii and Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) are the only two states in the nation that don’t follow time change. People in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas also don’t change their clocks.

What they're saying:

While it's dominated America's timescape for the past century, there have been recent efforts to end the practice of rolling back clocks. 

That includes lawmakers even introducing bills in Congress to conclude Daylight Saving.

While none have made it to the president's bill for signing, Donald Trump has indicated he would eliminate Daylight Saving Time. Posting on his social media platform Truth Social last December, Trump called it "very costly" for the country.