Making Daylight Savings Time (DST) Permanent

William Attardi on July 15, 2026

While this sounds amazing in the summer, the winter months would feel drastically different under permanent DST:

  • Before the change (Standard Time): Sunrise ~6:30 AM, Sunset ~6:10 PM.
  • After springing forward (DST): Sunrise ~7:30 AM, Sunset ~7:10 PM.
  • Pitch-Black Winter Mornings: In the dead of winter (December and January), standard sunrise is around 7:15 AM to 7:30 AM across much of the US. Under permanent DST, the sun wouldn’t rise until 8:15 AM or even 8:30 AM. Most people would commute and start their workday or school day in total darkness.
  • Slightly Brighter Winter Evenings: Instead of the sun setting at a gloomy 4:30 PM, you’d get daylight until about 5:30 PM.

Health experts are concerned how those daylight hours align with our circadian rhythms. GenAI