Alberta’s Clocks Won’t Fall Back on Nov. 1. Here’s When the Sun Will Rise in Your City This Winter

Albertans won’t be turning their clocks back on Nov. 1 this year. That means an end to the twice-yearly time change, and some unusually dark winter mornings.

On Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year, the sun won’t rise until about 9:48 a.m. in Edmonton, 9:37 a.m. in Calgary and 10:19 a.m. in Grande Prairie. Under the old system, each of those would have been an hour earlier.

The province’s new system, Alberta Time, keeps Alberta on daylight time all winter. If you work regular daytime hours, you’ll get more light after work. If you’re a student heading to school, a construction worker starting an early shift, or anyone commuting before 9 a.m., your mornings will be noticeably darker.

There’s also something to deal with before Nov. 1: some phones, computers and calendar apps may still try to turn the clock back unless they’ve been updated.

Here’s what to expect this winter, including sunrise times for six Alberta cities.

Do the clocks go back in Alberta on Nov. 1?

No.

Under the old system, clocks would have gone back from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. This year, they stay where they are.

Alberta Time, officially ABT, is the same time Albertans have been on all summer: the old Mountain Daylight Time, or UTC-6. The province says ending clock changes will make schedules more predictable for families, businesses and schools, and line Alberta up with neighbours that have already stopped. It plans to gather feedback after the first full year.

When the sun will rise in your city

Here are sunrise and sunset times on Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year:

Calculations from standard astronomical data, using UTC-6. Times may differ by a minute or two from other sources.

Grande Prairie has it hardest. It sits far enough north and west that the sun won’t rise until after 10 a.m. for weeks around the solstice. Fort McMurray, further north, has the earliest sunset on the list at 4:46 p.m.

Three months of sunrise after 9 a.m.

The dark mornings aren’t just a December thing.

That surprises a lot of people: the latest sunrise isn’t on the shortest day. Because of the tilt of Earth’s axis and the shape of its orbit, sunrise keeps getting later for a few days after the solstice, even as the days start getting longer.

By mid-February, things improve quickly. On Feb. 15, the sun rises at about 8:52 a.m. in Edmonton and 8:49 a.m. in Calgary, and sets around 6:45 p.m.

More light after work, not more light

The amount of daylight doesn’t change. Only the clock does.

In Edmonton on Dec. 21, the old system would have given you sunrise at 8:48 a.m. and sunset at 4:15 p.m. Under Alberta Time, it’s 9:48 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Same length of day, an hour later.

Premier Danielle Smith has argued that under the old system, people went to work in the dark and came home in the dark. Now, the drive home is lighter.

How that feels depends on your day. Bernadine Otieno, who works construction in Edmonton, told CTV News her shifts start around 7 a.m., and “there are some things you can’t do, especially in construction, unless there’s light.” Edmonton nurse Suzie O’Dell told CTV she’s glad she won’t have to adjust to a time change anymore.

How time differences change

Alberta’s clock stays put, but most of Canada still falls back on Nov. 1, so Alberta’s gap with other places changes.

So a 9 a.m. meeting in Edmonton is 10 a.m. in Toronto this winter, not 11. A 7 p.m. Oilers or Flames home game starts at 8 p.m. in Toronto, not 9. And if you’re flying to Phoenix or Palm Springs this winter, you’ll gain an hour instead of landing on the same time.

Will Alberta’s clocks change in March 2027?

No. Alberta stays on Alberta Time all year, so clocks won’t spring forward next March either.

Most of North America still moves its clocks ahead on Sunday, March 14, 2027. When that happens, Alberta’s gaps shift again: Toronto goes back to two hours ahead, and Denver and Phoenix line up differently. If you have meetings, flights or appointments around mid-March, check the times again then.

Your phone and computer

Phones and computers use a global time zone database to know when to change the clock. Alberta’s change was added in July, in version 2026c.

Windows: Microsoft says it released Alberta Time updates in late September for current versions of Windows 11, with other versions updated in October. Go to Settings, then Windows Update, then Check for updates, and restart if asked.

iPhone and Android: Install the latest system updates and keep automatic date and time turned on. On an iPhone, that’s under Settings, then General, then Date & Time. On most Android phones, it’s under Settings, then System, then Date & Time.

On the morning of Nov. 1, check that your phone shows the right time. An outdated device or app could still fall back an hour by mistake.

Check your Outlook calendar

Microsoft is warning Alberta Outlook users to update their calendar settings before Nov. 1, especially if they have meetings booked after that date. Updating Windows alone doesn’t fix this.

Microsoft says to switch your calendar to the new time zone, “(UTC-06:00) Mountain Time (Alberta).”

New Outlook and Outlook on the web: Open Calendar settings, go to Calendar, then View, choose Mountain Time (Alberta) under “Display my calendar in time zone,” and save.

Classic Outlook: Go to File, then Options, then Calendar, and choose Mountain Time (Alberta) under Time zones.

Meetings already booked for after Nov. 1 also need their time zone updated, or they’ll show an hour off. Only the person who organized a meeting can change it, and attendees get a new invitation. For recurring meetings, you have to edit the whole series. Microsoft warns that doing so erases any one-off changes, like a single meeting you’d moved to another day.

If you run a business, a clinic or anything with booked appointments, check your calendar now.

Other clocks to check

Anything with its own built-in time rules could get it wrong on Nov. 1:

Car clocks and dashboards

Smartwatches and fitness trackers

Smart thermostats, security systems and light timers

Older alarm clocks, stoves and microwaves

If something jumps back an hour, set it by hand.

Getting through the dark mornings

A few things will matter more this winter than they used to.

Drivers: Rush hour now happens in full darkness for weeks. Keep your headlights on, clear frost and snow off every window, and watch for people at crosswalks and bus stops, especially near schools.

Pedestrians: Dark winter clothing is almost invisible to drivers before sunrise. Reflective strips, a small clip-on light or a bright jacket make a real difference.

Parents: If your kids walk to school or wait for a bus, this is the year to make sure they’re easy to see. Many Alberta schools start between 8 and 9 a.m., well before sunrise from mid-November to mid-February.

Everyone: With less light in the morning, the midday sun matters more. A walk outside at lunch is an easy way to catch some daylight on short winter days.

Sleep experts aren’t fans

Many sleep researchers support ending clock changes, but not this way.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends permanent standard time instead. Its argument is that morning light keeps the body’s internal clock on track, and later sunrises mean less of it, especially for people who get up early.

That’s really two decisions: whether to stop changing the clocks, and which time to stop on. Most Albertans wanted the first. The second is still debated.

Albertans voted on this in 2021

In a 2021 referendum, Albertans narrowly rejected permanent daylight time, with 50.2% voting no. This year, the government moved ahead with Alberta Time anyway, with Smith saying Albertans should live with it for a year before deciding. (We covered what the switch would mean when it was first proposed.)

This winter is the first real test.

Sources

Government of Alberta: Alberta’s new time system (ABT)
Microsoft: Outlook time zone changes for Alberta and British Columbia
Microsoft: Alberta 2026 time zone update
IANA: Time Zone Database
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Permanent standard time position statement