4 pm sunsets to return to Seattle. Here's when
SEATTLE - It’s nearly time to "fall back," Seattle.
Daylight saving time officially comes to an end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, bringing earlier evenings — and the return of those dreaded 4 o’clock sunsets.
Keep reading to find out when the sun will set before 5 pm and when we can expect to reemerge from the "Big Dark."
Good news: one extra hour of sleep
Timeline:
Residents across Washington will gain an extra hour of rest overnight Saturday into Sunday, as clocks turn back one hour to mark the end of daylight saving time. Saturday’s 5:51 p.m. sunset will be the last one above 5 p.m. that Seattleites see until next year.
On Sunday, Nov. 2, the sun will set at 4:49 p.m., according to the Time and Date website. By Nov. 30, that time shrinks to 4:20 p.m.
The next sunset after 5 p.m. won’t arrive until Jan. 25, 2026.
Night view of downtown Seattle, Wash., from Kerry Park. (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Why we change the clocks
Big picture view:
Daylight saving time was first adopted in 1918 during World War I as a way to conserve fuel and make better use of daylight hours. The idea was that pushing clocks forward in spring would reduce electricity use in the evenings, freeing up coal for the war effort.
After being briefly discontinued, the practice returned during World War II, and in 1966, the Uniform Time Act standardized the schedule nationwide.
Today, most states observe daylight saving time from the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday in November, though Hawaii, most of Arizona and several U.S. territories do not participate.
When will we spring forward again?
What's next:
Daylight saving time returns on March 8, 2026, when clocks will move forward one hour once again, signaling longer days and brighter evenings ahead.
Until then, Seattle residents can expect short days, early sunsets and plenty of cozy nights to carry them through winter.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Time and Date website, the Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory and FOX 13 Seattle original reporting.
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