Latest Sunrises Ever

Because Daylight Savings Time (DST) has been pushed back to the first Sunday in November this year, most people in the United States are experiencing the chronographically latest sunrise ever. Daylight Savings Time has never been extended into November making these sunrise times unprecedented.

In Boston for example, sunrise for November 3rd occurs at 7:20am, which because of DST, is 7 minutes later than it will be at the time of the latest astronomical sunrise. This will occur a few days after the Winter Solstice, around December 31st, when in Boston, the sun will rise at 7:13am. With the current law in effect, 2010 will have to latest possible date for the return to standard time, November 7th, when sunrise will occur at 7:23 - a full 10 minutes after the otherwise normal latest sunrise.

Boston Sunrise and Sunset for 2007

Prior to this year, DST started on the last Sunday in October, which put the latest sunrise almost exactly at the time it occurs after the Winter Solstice. I suspect in fact that is how the original date was decided upon in the first place.