6 Difference Between PST and PDT (With Table)

The earth is cryptic and nobody has a full understanding of it. Several theories suggest that the earth revolves around the sun to bring about day and night moments.

The cryptic nature of the world is the reason behind different places with different times, weather, and climate. It is also the reason behind the emergency of standard time zone.

Research shows that there are over 25 world time zones in reference to GMT. Examples of these time zones are mountain standard time, pacific standard time, east African time, and more.

The United States of America, Mexico, and Canada use the pacific time zone. It is the standard time zone used across the world and it is known as Pacific standard time (PST).

So, what is the main difference between PST and PDT? Pacific Standard Time is the standard time followed during late autumn (November) and early spring (Mid-March) while Pacific Daylight Time is the standard time followed during early spring (Mid-March) to late autumn (November).

Keep in mind that all these standard times are calculated based on Universal Time-8hours. The Coordinate Universal time is an alternative name to Universal Time which is a successor to GMT.

This article provides further differences between PST and PDT in a tabular form for easier understanding. Take the time to read and get to know when does PDT starts.

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Comparison Table (PST Vs PDT)

Basic Terms	PST	PDT
Stands For	Pacific Standard Time	Pacific Daylight Time
Meaning	It is the standard time followed from November to mid-March.	It is the standard time followed from mid-March to November.
UTC Difference	8 hours behind the UTC.	7 hours behind the UTC.
Time Difference	Remain the same since it is a standard time.	Time is usually kept one hour ahead of PST.
Significance	Short winter days.	Longer summer days.
Email Sent	Has time zone indicated on the header as “0800”	Has time zone listed on the header as “0700”

What Is PST?

Pacific Standard time is the pacific time followed by some places in the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico. It is the standard time that begins in early November and ends in mid-march.

The standard time is strictly followed during the winter season of the year. It is usually eight hours behind the Universal time zone.

The Pacific Standard Time is followed in winter to shorten days in United States, Mexico, and Canada since they use pacific time.

Keep in mind that the spherical shape of the earth and 15 degrees meridian calculation from the GMT also play a crucial role in different time zones.

Yukon is the only place in Canada that is under Pacific Standard Time. Other places that partially experience PST are Northwest Territories and West Columbia as well as some parts of the mountain zone.

California and Washington are two states in the U.S that fully experience PST. Some states in the United States are further split into Mountain Zone. These regions that experience partial PST are Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.

What Is PDT?

Pacific Daylight Time is the time zone strictly followed in the summer months of the year. The time zone is also common in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.

The PDT commences in Mid-March and ends in early November of the same year. It helps to indicate a longer summer period.

The standard time is usually 7 hours behind the GMT. It is kept one hour behind the Pacific Standard Time. It is ideal for saving energy during the day.

Research shows that the PDT dates that were followed for many years got altered by the Government of the United States of America as per the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The policy changes the time one hour ahead on the second Sunday of March every year. PDT is later set back to PST on the First Sunday in November of the same year.

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Main Difference between PST and PDT

PST is followed during Winter while PDT is followed during Summer.
PST begins in early November and ends in mid-March of next year while PDT begins in mid-March and ends in early November of the same year.
PST is eight hours behind the Universal Time while PDT is seven hours behind Universal Time.
PST is the standard time set while PDT is kept one hour behind the PST during summer.
PST provides shorter winter periods while PDT provides longer summer periods.

Similarities between PST and PDT

Both are influenced by the shape and rotation of the earth.
Both belong to the pacific time zone.
Both are calculated based on Universal Time.
Both time zones are present in Canada, Mexico, and United States.

In Conclusion

The shape and revolution of the earth around the sun are the reason behind the different time zones in the world. Understanding the time zone concepts is super easy since it is not rocket science.

But following different time zones within a few months in a year can be an exciting and daunting experience. But the United States government policy follows it to save on energy.

The summer season is where energy is saved and the winter season is where more energy is used. The former season experience longer hours while the latter have shorter daylight.

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