If you’re a fan of bright, sunny afternoon commutes, your time is just around the corner.

Daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 10 at 2 a.m. At that time – or more likely before they go to bed Saturday night, assuming their smart devices change automatically – people will “spring forward” their clocks one hour. The change shifts more daylight into the evening and cuts morning light by an hour.

DST will continue until Sunday, Nov. 3 at 2 a.m. when we repeat the process and “fall back” moving the clocks back 1 hour to start standard time.

The reason? Here’s how the U.S. government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology explains the time change:

“This change helps keep the hours of daylight coordinated with the time that most people are active. Proponents feel that this saves energy because in the spring and summer months, more people may be outside in the evening and not using energy at home. There are, however, ongoing debates about how much energy is saved.”

The current DST was set by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which went into effect in 2007 and extended DST by four to five weeks.

The twice-a-year time change remains controversial. As of January 2023, 19 states – including Alabama – have passed bills to end the clock change practice. And while the states are positioned to move ahead, any change to the law would require Congressional action and past efforts have stalled.