U.S. Senate approves bill to keep daylight saving time year-round. What would that look like here?

The bill would mean big changes for our sunrise and sunset times

U.S. Senate bill would keep DST around all year long

ROANOKE, Va. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act Tuesday. It’s a bill that would keep us on daylight saving time the entire year.

The bipartisan bill still needs to pass the House of Representatives before being signed into law by President Biden.

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Nearly a dozen states across the country have already normalized daylight saving time.

So, what would that look like here?

What would happen in our area under the Sunshine Protection Act

Currently, there are 263 days out of the year when the sun sets after 6:00 p.m. Under the Sunshine Protection Act, the sun would set at or after 6 p.m. every day out of the year. Some farmers have commented on my Facebook page in approval of that.

There are also currently 0 days when the sun rises after 8 a.m. Under the Sunshine Protection Act, the sun would rise at or after 8 a.m. from mid-November until mid-to-late February. It would rise at or after 8:30 in the morning for roughly a month, starting around the winter solstice.

Some have voiced concern over later sunrises and what that would mean for children at the bus stop. Later sunrises in the winter could also keep roads icier for longer during morning commute times.

Let us know what you think about this bill by commenting below. Learn more about it by clicking here.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.