Daylight Saving Time in Seattle is once again coming to an end.
Love it or hate it, Daylight Saving Time is still observed in Seattle. That means that on this Sunday, November 5 the sunset will suddenly set an hour earlier: at 4:45 p.m., making it the first sunset before 5:00 p.m. this year. Longtime Seattleites know what that means: the Big Dark is upon us again!
Read on for all the details.
The end of Daylight Saving Time every fall is a controversial issue here in Seattle. Back in 2019 Governor Jay Inslee actually signed a state bill that would allow for the year-round observation of daylight saving time (i.e. no more “falling back” to these early winter sunsets). Unfortunately the bill won’t go through without a federal waiver.
There is also the Sunshine Protection Act that has been introduced to Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent across the country. That was introduced back in March 2023 with no result as of yet.
So for now, Seattle will continue to set the clocks back an hour every November. This Sunday, November 5 the sunrise will be an hour earlier at 6:59 a.m. and the sun will set at 4:45 p.m. The earliest sunset in Seattle this winter will take place at 4:17 p.m. on December 8. After that, the days will start to get incrementally longer starting on December 15.
Daylight Saving Time will return on March 12. On that day, the sunset will jump an hour ahead and we will once again see the sun setting after 7:00 p.m. here in Seattle.
To make the best of the darker days ahead, we recommend finding fun things to do in Seattle with the help of our fall and winter guides: