When will the clocks change to winter time?

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Wintertime: The time change in Austria will take place on the night of October 26, 2024—all information about the time, direction, and background.

Since 1980, clocks have been changed twice a year throughout Austria. Originally introduced to save energy by making use of longer daylight hours, the time change continues to confuse to this day.

When exactly does the change from daylight saving time to standard time (colloquially known as “winter time”) take place in the fall—and in which direction must the clock be turned?

The change always takes place on the last weekend in October, which this year is from Saturday, October 25, to Sunday, October 26. This means that daylight saving time ends one day earlier than last year, when the clocks were changed from October 26 to October 27, 2024.

The exact time: At 3:00 a.m. on the night of October 25 to 26, the clock will be set back to 2:00 a.m.—giving us an extra hour!

Those who still have traditional clocks will have to turn back the minute hand themselves. In contrast, radio-controlled clocks will change automatically, controlled by the atomic clocks at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig. This is how Austrians get back the hour they “lost” in March when they switched to daylight saving time.

Many people remember the direction of the change with mnemonics such as “In summer, garden furniture is put outside, and in winter it is brought back into the house.” The 2-3-2 rule also helps: in spring, from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m., in autumn, from 3 a.m. back to 2 a.m.

While some enjoy the extra hour of sleep, many Austrians continue to ask themselves: Do we still need the time change? In 2021, almost three-quarters were in favor of abolishing it and introducing year-round daylight saving time.

Although the European Parliament decided to end daylight saving time in 2019, it has not yet been implemented.