Daylight saving time is nearing its end and millions of residents in California will have to set their clocks back one hour to switch to standard time. This change will also apply in most of the United States, adapting to sunrise and sunset times. Although many devices adjust automatically, it is advisable to know when and how the time should be adjusted, and how it may affect scheduled activities and events.

When does daylight saving time end? Daylight saving time in California will end on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2 a.m. At this time, clocks must be set back one hour and show 1 a.m. again.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) this change takes place on the first Sunday in November of each year and marks the return to standard time. This means that sunrise and sunset times will also be set back one hour. Why does the time change happen?

The time change aims to make better use of daylight during the spring and summer months, when the days are longer. Daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March, when clocks are set forward one hour, a measure that allows for more natural light during the afternoon. With the arrival of autumn, the days become shorter and standard time returns to recover an hour of daylight in the morning, although it gets dark earlier.

Do I need to set my clock back manually? Most smartphones, computers and internet-connected clocks make the change automatically, as long as the automatic date and time setting is enabled. On the other hand, some devices require a manual adjustment, such as analog clocks, appliances and clocks in certain vehicles.

What happens with scheduled events? Events, meetings, flights and other scheduled activities after the time change generally keep their established local time, as long as they have been correctly registered with the corresponding time zone. The time difference between California and other states - Washington and Nevada: cities such as Seattle and Las Vegas share Pacific time with California, so there will be no time difference. - New York: California will be three hours behind, since both states make the change on the same date. - Texas: California will be two hours behind cities such as Houston and Dallas. - Arizona: most of the state will be one hour ahead of California, since it does not observe daylight saving time.

The exception is the Navajo Nation, which does make the adjustment and will have the same time as California during standard time.