You may have seen daylight saving time being discussed in the news lately.
Back in July, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to advance the Sunshine Protection Act, a Trump-endorsed measure that would make daylight saving time permanent. However, the bill still needs to pass through the Senate before it can become law, meaning things hang in limbo for now.
Unlike some other states, North Carolina doesn't have any legislation of its own around daylight saving time, meaning it would follow the federal precedent.
If the Sunshine Protection Act were to pass, here's how it would affect Wilmington and the rest of the Cape Fear region.
When is daylight saving time?
Daylight saving time runs from March 8 to Nov. 1, 2026. You may have heard the seasonal play on words of "spring forward"
in March and "fall back" in November.
The Nov. 1 shift occurs at 2 a.m., pushing the time back to 1 a.m. Most immediately, it gives you an extra hour of sleep. But it also makes sunrises and sunsets happen earlier in the winter months.
How would permanent daylight saving time work?
The Sunshine Protection Act would eliminate the time change entirely. Under permanent daylight saving time, clocks wouldn't fall back one hour on Nov. 1 as they historically have.
This would mean sunrises and sunsets occur later in the winter months than you're used to. Practically, that could look like people making their morning commutes in darkness but having some extra light at the end of the day.
The amount of daylight itself would not increase. The change would simply move that daylight to different times on the clock.
What time is sunrise and sunset in North Carolina in winter?
If the United States changed to permanent daylight saving time, this is what sunrise and sunset would look like in the winter (specifically Dec. 31), according to Time and Date.
Wilmington: sunrise around 8:16 a.m.; sunset around 6:12 p.m.
Raleigh: sunrise around 8:24 a.m.; sunset around 6:11 p.m.
Charlotte: sunrise around 8:31 a.m.; sunset around 6:21 p.m.
Asheville: sunrise around 8:39 a.m.; sunset around 6:27 p.m.
During the summer, daylight saving time is already observed, so sunrise and sunset times would remain the same.
What's next?
The Senate is scheduled to return from a recess on Sept. 14, though it isn't clear if senators will take action before the time switch scheduled on Nov. 1.
Unless the federal law changes, North Carolinians should still plan to change their clocks.
Charlie Kingree is the Pender County and trending topics reporter for the StarNews. He can be reached at ckingree@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington sunrise, sunset times under permanent daylight saving time
