Harrison: Daylight Saving Time Ends

HARRISON, NY — This weekend you can sleep in an extra hour as we "fall back" into standard time. (Unless you have small children, in which case that extra hour of sleep does not apply to you.)

Plus, don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when you change your clocks. At the same time, make sure the alarms are in good working order and that they are not expired.

This weekend is also a good time to check your emergency supply kit. Is it missing any items? Is anything out-of-date, leaking or damaged? If you haven't created an emergency supply kit yet, now is the time to do it.

"Emergencies can happen with little or no warning; that's why having an emergency supply kit is so important," said Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, which means you'll want to turn your old-school clocks back before you go to bed Saturday night, Nov. 4. The change is automatic for most smartphones, computers, tablets and other digital devices.

Daylight saving time is the practice of setting clocks forward one hour from standard time in the spring, and back again in the fall, in order to make better use of natural daylight.

The good news for the early risers is that sunrise will be about an hour earlier and there will be more light in the mornings, but it also means but it also means the sun will set on Long Island at 4:47 p.m. Sunday.
The daylight will dwindle over the next two months as winter approaches, with the earliest sunsets of 2017 coming in early December.

The shorter days and the end of daylight saving time are associated with the beginning of the SAD (seasonal affected disorder) season, giving people less daylight to enjoy after they got off work. SAD is clinical form of depression that is believed to affect about 5 percent of the U.S. population.

Here's a bonus for you sticklers for accuracy out there: Though many people refer to the day clocks move back as the end of daylight savings time, it's technically daylight saving time – not a plural.

Arizona, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa do not observe daylight saving time.

Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or if they don't respond when tested. To find out how old a smoke alarm is: the date of manufacture is located on the back of the alarm; the alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date. For carbon monoxide alarms, always check the manufacturer's instructions and expiration date.

As for that emergency kit, Rockland officials have some tips:

What should you put in your emergency supply kit? Have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in your home, with at least one gallon of water per person per day. Choose foods that are ready to eat such as peanut butter and canned meats, fruits and vegetables. Remember your pets too! They need their own food and water. Your emergency supply kit should also contain flashlights, a hand-operated can opener, a radio, batteries, and copies of important documents.

Depending on your family's needs, you may also need other supplies.

Stock up on canned vegetables or batteries when there is a sale. Share "bulk" items with a friend, co-worker or neighbor, who can serve as your "preparedness buddy." Once your emergency supply kit is complete, don't be tempted to "borrow" from it the next time you run out of batteries or need beans for a recipe. Remember: your emergency supply kit is for emergencies!

Written by Patch Staff. Patch Editor Lanning Taliaferro contributed to this report.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images