What to Know
I can’t be the only one who feels like the talk of ending or changing Daylight Savings Time has gone on for literal years. But when Congress passed the Sunshine Protection Act and a map surfaced on social media showing potential sunrise times in the United States in the winter months, people were surprised. They also weren’t happy, because if changing DST means heading to work and school in literally darkness for months on end, Congress can take the Sunshine Act and shove it where, well, the sunshine does not shine.
The image was shared on multiple social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter). The photo shows that, if DST is observed year-round instead of its usual twice-per-year schedule, the sunrise times in the U.S. timezones in the winter would be later than ever. In Montana alone, the winter sunrise wouldn’t potentially happen until after 9 a.m.
The bill passed to make Daylight Savings Time permanent.
This will be such a nightmare. pic.twitter.com/qrD03wxEdl
— Julian Mille☈ (@ATLAreaWx) July 14, 2026
Even though the Sunshine Protection Act passed through Congress, it still has to be signed by the Senate and by Donald Trump. But all this talk of ending DST and dealing with longer daylight hours and darker mornings has people worried about what the change means. On the one hand, the sun setting later means that people won’t have to worry about darkness at 4 p.m. during the winter. On the other hand, it also means kids would have to walk to school or wait for the bus in the dark.
Right now, it seems to be a passion project for Trump. In May 2026, he wrote on Truth Social, “It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production. It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it! We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!”
Now, the viral DST map shows late winter sunrises across the board.
You'd have more sunlight later in the day(after work) in the winter months if permanent DST was adopted, which sounds good to me.
— One-One (@CHIGGERDICK) July 16, 2026
I personally don't care which we choose between permanent DST or permanent standard time. I just want the clocks to stop changing because it wreaks… https://t.co/2Btan2m37n
The map that shows sunrise times has even those who are tired of DST wondering if it’s the best idea. The latest winter sunrise times across the U.S., according to the map, show 7:59 a.m. in Los Angeles and 8:20 a.m. in New York City. Bostonians wouldn’t see the light of day until around 8:14 a.m., and Louisville’s latest sunrise would be 9 a.m.
Some users commented on the post to point out that these later sunrise times would likely only last for around a month during the winter. Others still aren’t happy about the possible change, and don’t quite understand why it would be necessary to get rid of DST.
“Two days of changing the clocks is much better than 100 mornings of pure darkness for the school kids,” an X user commented, in response to the DST map.
Another user posted, “Do you guys understand how insane a 9 a.m. sunrise is going to be??”
In response to that, a user wrote, “Driving on roads in the far north I can tell you there will be many deaths in the rush hour commute.”
Some people refuse to accept the Sunshine Protection Act.
You'd have more sunlight later in the day(after work) in the winter months if permanent DST was adopted, which sounds good to me.
— One-One (@CHIGGERDICK) July 16, 2026
I personally don't care which we choose between permanent DST or permanent standard time. I just want the clocks to stop changing because it wreaks… https://t.co/2Btan2m37n
Until the Sunshine Protection Act is official, some people just aren’t going to accept it. As much as people do complain about setting clocks ahead or backward twice a year, it seems like that may be preferred over dealing with a strange amount of daylight at a strange time during the winter. There’s also the question of whether or not this is really the time for government officials to focus on this, but anything to distract from everything else.
READ NEXT: Here’s How to Adjust Your Kids’ Bedtime Routine Before Daylight Saving Time
