Spring ahead: Daylight Saving Time to do list

Pacific Daylight Time resumes again this Sunday – March 9. It seems like the switch to standard time was not too long ago. In fact, it was shortly after Halloween, back on November 3 – just 17 weeks ago.

Early Sunday at 2 a.m., we move our clocks ahead one hour. The easy saying to remember is – spring ahead. On the first Sunday in November, we will fall back to Standard Time again.

In partnership with western Washington fire departments, the switch to Daylight Saving Time is a great opportunity to remember to swap out batteries in home smoke detectors. National statistics show that more than 90 percent of homes have smoke detectors, yet about one third have dead or missing batteries. Working smoke detectors more than double the chance of a person surviving a house fire.

In addition, it is also a good time to change the batteries in your NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards receiver. For more information about NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazard receivers including where to get one for your home, business, school or vehicle, visit www.emd.wa.gov

Since the batteries are out, check your carbon monoxide (CO) detector, too. CO is called the Invisible Killer since it is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. More than 150 people in the U.S. die each year from CO poisoning from sources such as improperly ventilated generators or poorly functioning stoves, fireplaces, furnaces and water heaters.

The earth’s rotation around the sun has moved to the point that we are gaining about 3 to 4 minutes of daylight each day. So sunrises are earlier and sunsets are later. With the resumption of Daylight Saving Time, we will have light well into the evening, while sunrise will be pushed ahead an hour for darker morning commutes. Yet as each day gets longer through to the summer solstice in June, it will only take about a month before sunrise matches that of the change to Daylight Saving Time.

So remember this Sunday to spring ahead one hour.