By now, even if you somehow missed all of the reminders, you have probably figured out that Daylight Saving Time has begun and hopefully all of your clocks are now set correctly. The time change has been a hot topic at the station this morning and its even trending on twitter. There is an online chatroom that allows local television meteorologists to keep in touch with National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists, local emergency managers, and weather spotters, mainly so we can all compare notes during times of threatening weather. Since the weather was quiet this morning, even there the discussion centered around all of us early risers adjusting to the time change and wondering why we still do this. As one NWS meteorologist pointed out, the time change generated a more lively discussion than the weather usually does.
On a personal note, my normal wake-up time for this shift is 2:05 AM. If you have a phone or a clock that automatically adjusts for daylight saving time, you can’t set the alarm for 2:05 AM, that time doesn’t exist. That begs the question, if your normal wake-up time for work doesn’t exist, do you still have to go to work? I assumed my boss would say yes so I had to go old school and use an old analog alarm clock…one that still makes the "tick-tock" sound.
Anyway, the point is, while we are adjusting the clocks, there are a few more things you should adjust. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Safety reminds us that when you change your clock, you should also change the batteries in your smoke alarm. It’s also a good time to check your carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and replace them if they have reached the end of their lives.
Also, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the American Public Health Association remind us that now is a good time to double check your emergency preparedness supplies and replace anything that is expired or missing. At a minimum, your emergency kit should include all of the items listed in the graphic below but MEMA has a more detailed list here. One of the recommended items…a clock.
