Fall is just under a month away, and with pumpkin spice already in stores, many are looking forward to the fall season and all it brings, including the end of daylight saving time.
The annual “Fallback” will take place again in Illinois, but much later in the season.
Here’s what you need to know about fall and the time change in the Chicago area:
When is the first day of autumn?
Fall officially begins on September 22, 2024 at 7:44 a.m. CT.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, this is the time when the astronomical event that marks the beginning of autumn occurs. In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox occurs in September, and in the Southern Hemisphere, in March.
When is summer time?
The big question with daylight saving time is, of course, when it ends. And as always, daylight saving time will end in early November, when the federal government orders the clocks to go back on the first Sunday of the month.
In 2024, this day will fall on November 3rd.
In the meantime, sunsets will slowly start earlier and with the end of daylight saving time, the sun will finally set at 4:41 p.m.
What is daylight saving time?
It is important to know the difference between the two often-discussed time formats: daylight saving time and standard time.
Currently, Illinois alternates between the two times. When the state changes to daylight saving time, it changes to standard time when it changes to fall time.
According to the Time and Date website, standard time is the local time of a country or region that does not observe daylight saving time.
“More than 60% of the world’s countries use standard time year-round,” the website says. “The remaining countries use daylight saving time and generally set their clocks forward one hour from standard time.”
Daylight saving time is a time change that usually begins in the spring and ends in the fall. Under the terms of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On these days, clocks are either moved forward or back one hour.
What is the autumn equinox?
The autumn equinox, also known as the fall equinox or September equinox, marks the halfway point between summer and winter – also known as autumn.
On its journey around the sun, the earth moves at a certain angle.
For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun, meaning the sun’s heat and light fall unevenly on the northern and southern halves of the planet.
When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, it is called the summer solstice. This marks the first day of summer in the north and the first day of winter in the south.
One hundred and eighty days later, when the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, it is called the winter solstice. This marks the first day of winter in the north and the first day of summer in the south.
The midpoints between the solstices are the autumn and spring equinoxes. The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning “equal” and “night.” This is because at the equinox, day and night are almost the same length – although depending on your location on Earth, it may be a few minutes longer. This works out to approximately 12 hours of day followed by 12 hours of night.
