Here’s When New York Turns the Clocks Back in 2026

Get Ready to Fall Back, New York

The leaves are changing, the mornings are getting that crisp chill, and pretty soon, New Yorkers will be doing the annual dance with their clocks.

Daylight Saving Time is coming to an end, which means we're getting that precious extra hour of sleep. Or, more likely, you'll wake up at your usual time and have no idea what to do with yourself.

This year, New York will fall back one hour at 2 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Don't Forget That One Clock

Most phones, computers and newer appliances will change automatically, but there are always a few clocks that refuse to cooperate.

The microwave. The oven. That clock in the car that hasn't been correct since 2019.

And don't forget the clocks at work, on the coffee maker and anywhere else that doesn't magically update itself.

gray digital device at 0

Why Do We Still Do This?

There has been plenty of debate over the years about whether we should continue changing the clocks twice a year. Lawmakers in New York and other states have introduced proposals to change how the country handles Daylight Saving Time.

Supporters have long argued that it saves energy, provides farmers more daylight to get their work done, and improves safety on the roads. But when you look a little closer, the reality doesn’t match up so neatly.

Studies have shown energy use doesn’t actually decrease — in fact, the electricity saved in the evening is often offset by increased usage in the morning.

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Farmers, especially dairy farmers here in Central New York, have never been fans either. Cows, after all, don’t live by the clock. They expect to be fed and milked on the same schedule, regardless of what the time says. Even our pets can be thrown off by the sudden shift.

As for safety, there’s actually evidence that traffic accidents and even heart attacks increase right after the time change.

Studies point to an eight percent spike during the first week of the switch, which isn’t made up during the months we’re on Daylight Saving Time.

Fall Back

Until lawmakers decide otherwise, the system stays the same.

Whether it's the coffee maker, microwave, or even the hard-to-change clock in the car, remember time falls back one hour at 2 AM on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Be sure to change the time before heading to bed Halloween night. Or, like most of us, do it when you wake up after forgetting the night before.