What the saying means
The phrase uses the North American names of two seasons as instructions:
- Spring forward: in spring, move the clocks one hour ahead. This is when daylight saving time (DST) begins.
- Fall back: in fall (autumn), move the clocks one hour back. This is when DST ends and standard time returns.
The wordplay makes it easy to remember: you spring ahead like a jump, and you fall back like a step backward.
Spring forward: losing an hour
On the spring change night, one hour disappears from the clock. In the United States and most of Canada the change happens at 2:00 local time on the second Sunday in March, when clocks jump straight to 3:00. In the European Union and the United Kingdom it happens on the last Sunday in March at 01:00 UTC, which is 01:00 in London and 02:00 in Paris.
The effects:
- The night is an hour shorter, so most people lose an hour of sleep.
- Sunrise and sunset both happen about an hour later on the clock than the day before.
- Evenings are lighter, mornings are darker for a while.
Fall back: gaining an hour
On the autumn change night, one hour is repeated. In the United States and most of Canada the change happens at 2:00 local daylight time on the first Sunday in November, when clocks go back to 1:00. In the European Union and the United Kingdom it happens on the last Sunday in October at 01:00 UTC.
The effects:
- The night is an hour longer, so there is an extra hour for sleep.
- Sunrise and sunset both happen about an hour earlier on the clock.
- Mornings are lighter for a while, and darkness comes early in the evening.
Dates at a glance
| Region | Spring forward | Fall back |
|---|---|---|
| United States and Canada | 2nd Sunday in March | 1st Sunday in November |
| European Union and United Kingdom | Last Sunday in March | Last Sunday in October |
| South-east Australia | 1st Sunday in October | 1st Sunday in April |
| New Zealand | Last Sunday in September | 1st Sunday in April |
For the exact dates, see the 2026 clock changes and 2027 clock changes pages. To find out whether the clocks have already changed where you are, check the live daylight saving time page.
Places that do not spring forward
Not everyone changes their clocks. Most of Asia and Africa keep the same time all year. In the United States, Hawaii and most of Arizona stay on standard time, and in Canada most of Saskatchewan does too. People in those places do not need the saying at all, though the time gap between them and their neighbors changes twice a year.
Tips for the change
- Check manual clocks. Phones and computers update themselves, but ovens, microwaves, car clocks and some wall clocks need to be changed by hand.
- Ease into it. Going to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier for a few nights before springing forward can make the lost hour easier.
- Mind the gap hour. On the spring night, a time such as 2:30 does not exist in the United States, so alarms set for it may ring at 3:30. On the fall night, 1:30 happens twice.
- Double-check meetings. If you work with people in another region, the time difference may change for a few weeks when your rules and theirs differ.
A note on other memory aids
Some people use other reminders, such as “spring ahead, fall behind”. Whatever the version, the rule is the same: forward in spring, back in autumn. For the mechanics behind it, read how daylight saving time works.