Utah Move Sparks First Encounter With Daylight Saving Time Clocks
In a column for the Deseret News, a first-time transplant from Arizona details the abrupt adjustment of moving to Salt Lake City and confronting the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks. The essay captures a common friction point as millions prepare to alter their schedules, landing just as national lawmakers debate ending the practice entirely.
For lifelong residents of Arizona, skipping the spring-forward and fall-back routine is simply a matter of course. Arizona opted out of daylight saving time in 1968, keeping the state on Mountain Standard Time year-round. Hawaii is the only other U.S. state that maintains year-round standard time.
Moving to Utah meant immediate logistical questions for the household. The couple had to search online to confirm that the shift happens at 2 a.m. and that modern smartphones update automatically. Their new routine brings a 6:58 a.m. sunrise and a 5:23 p.m. sunset, raising concerns about evening darkness arriving before dinner preparations even begin.
National Debate Stalls in Congress as Millions Prepare to Fall Back
The personal adjustment mirrors a broader political battle in Washington. President Donald Trump has expressed support for the elimination of clock changes. President Donald Trump’s “No More Changing of Clocks Act” passed the House in July but remains stalled in the Senate. Trump recently criticized Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Truth Social for blocking the measure, calling it an easy win for the Republican Party.
Despite support from dozens of states and a bipartisan majority in the House, the legislation faces procedural hurdles in the Senate. Unless Congress passes a permanent fix before November, clocks across 48 states will turn back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona will also turn back its clocks, as the reservation extends into Utah and New Mexico and observes daylight saving time to match neighboring jurisdictions.
Public Opposition Grows as Residents Face Early Winter Sunsets
Public pushback against the biannual time change remains high among residents dealing with the disruption. A 2025 poll conducted by the Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics found that 82% of Utahns support a measure to eliminate daylight saving time altogether. Critics point to the abrupt loss of evening light and potential impacts on sleep schedules as primary reasons for wanting to scrap the system.
Whether federal legislation will eventually override state practices remains uncertain. For now, recent transplants and long-term residents alike are left managing the seasonal shift, weighing the temporary bonus of an extra hour of sleep against the looming reality of dark winter evenings.
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