Tippah County residents get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks fall back one hour to 1 a.m. The time change in Tippah County affects everyone in the coverage area, including Benton County and Middleton, Tennessee. Mississippi and Tennessee both observe daylight saving time, and the whole region stays on Central time.
Phones, computers and most cable boxes will update on their own. Wall clocks, oven and microwave clocks, car dashboards and older alarm clocks will need to be set back by hand.
Time Change in Tippah County: Earlier Sunsets
The biggest change most people will notice is the early dark. Sun times from the U.S. Naval Observatory for the Ripley area show:
In other words, the evening commute that ended in daylight this week will end near dusk next week. Civil twilight on Nov. 1 ends at about 5:28 p.m. in Ripley. Days will keep getting shorter until the winter solstice in late December.
A Good Weekend for Home Safety Checks
Fire safety groups have long urged families to use the twice-a-year clock change as a reminder for a few quick chores:
Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace batteries if needed.
Check the date on smoke alarms. Most units should be replaced about every 10 years.
Make sure flashlights and weather radios have fresh batteries before winter storm season.
Look over space heaters and extension cords before the first cold snap.
Drive With Care in the Darker Evenings
Earlier sunsets mean more driving in low light on county roads and on Highways 15, 4 and 2. Drivers should watch for pedestrians, school buses and children walking home. Deer are also most active around dawn and dusk, and fall is a busy season for deer moving across rural roads in North Mississippi and West Tennessee.
A Busy Weekend Around Ripley
The time change lands in the middle of a full weekend. The Spirit of Ripley Festival and chili cookoff is Friday evening, Oct. 30, downtown. Halloween is Saturday, and the Ripley Main Street Holiday Open House runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, so shoppers should check that their clocks are right before heading out. See our Tippah County Halloween forecast for the weekend weather.
Voters should also remember that the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls in Mississippi are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Read our Tippah County ballot guide for more.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
