SPOKANE, Wash.-- Your clocks will spring forward this weekend, but for how much longer? There's a movement to stop the switch, but not much agreement on whether the country should adopt permanent daylight time or standard time. Here's how life in the Inland Northwest could be different if a permanent change to either one happens.Â
The Spokane area is on the east side of the Pacific time zone, which means sunrises and sunsets come 20 to 30 minutes earlier than they do on the west coast. Combined with how far north the Spokane metro is, and there are some serious swings in what time the sun rises and sets.Â
If we were to spring forward to permanent daylight saving time, you wouldn't notice much until we got into the winter months. Almost everyone would be waking up in the dark for weeks on end. Sunrise during the winter solstice wouldn't come until 8:35 a.m. Across the Cascades in Seattle, sunrise wouldn't happen until close to 9 a.m.Â
Winter sunsets would be more palatable under permanent DST. The earliest sunset would be just before 5 p.m. in late December.Â
Now, what if we didn't spring forward and had standard time forever? In addition to the winter sunsets close to 4 p.m... sunrises and sunsets in summer would have a much different feel.Â
On the summer solstice in late June, the sun would rise before 4 o'clock in the morning (around 3:51). If that's not enough, the latest the sun would ever set here would be 7:51 p.m.Â
Either way, Spokane's northern latitude means there would be a significant change. Being on the east side of the time zone means daylight time would provide a more "normal" sunrise and sunset time than standard time during most times of the year. The further west you go, the better standard time becomes.Â
The debate about which time to choose goes beyond personal preference however. There are medical and socioeconomic factors involved too.Â
Click Here to see why medical professionals advocate for standard time.
Click Here to see why business associations want daylight time.
Click Here for the latest on legislation to stop the time changes.
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