My favorite time in Montana is during the summer months when I can still see to tie a fish knot at 10pm. The sun travels more directly overhead and our days are longer, warmer, and wonderful. The short, cold days of late Fall and early Winter are the price we pay.
Daylight Savings Time begins March 13th. Since late December, our daylight has been growing longer by around 5 minutes a day. The sun has been slowly arcing its way closer overhead as the Earth begins to travel closer to the sun. The Earth’s axis is also allowing greater solar energy to impact our northern places. 
In 1942, Daylight Savings time was instituted. Congress approved the time legislation on Fe. 9, 1942. This “war time” rule was designed to conserve fuel. In WW1, a similar idea was introduced. Congress declared one national time to allow America to best use their resources, following a European model. The 1918 Standard Time Act was meant to be in effect for only 7 months of the year. This War Time ended with the end of the war.
Daylight Savings Time is designed to impact the entire nation for the entire year. It was ended on September 30, 1945. States returned to Standard Time.
In 1966, Congress set a Standard Time, superseding local variations. The “Uniform Time Act” re-established the time zones and changes that we recognize today. Not all states follow the guidelines. US territories, Arizona, and Hawaii do not reset their seasonal clocks.
Some folks want to change the times that we observe. The changes are designed to offer more outdoor recreation time with sunlight. Road accidents have also declined thanks to the Daylight Savings Time.
Springing Forward means we reset our clocks by one hour forward. This means more daylight in the evenings. Falling Back, in the Fall, means more light in the morning so we do not have to travel to work in the dark.
Whatever you prefer, make sure that your clocks match the rest of the neighborhood.
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Montana Grant
