CDT stands for Central Daylight Time. It is a time zone used in parts of North America, including some regions in the United States and Canada. Central Daylight Time is observed during the warmer months of the year when Daylight Saving Time (DST) is in effect. It is one hour ahead of Central Standard Time (CST), which is used in the cooler months. Specifically:
- CDT is UTC-5 (5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time).
- It is used from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
- When not on daylight saving time, the region observes CST, which is UTC-6.
The purpose of CDT is to make better use of daylight during the longer days of summer by shifting clocks forward one hour. This helps to reduce energy usage and allows people to enjoy more daylight in the evening. Areas observing CDT include 20 states in the US and parts of three provinces or territories in Canada. Texas, for example, switches between CST and CDT depending on the time of year. In summary, CDT is the daylight saving time designation for the Central Time Zone in North America, used to take advantage of more daylight during the summer months. It is one hour ahead of Central Standard Time and five hours behind UTC. This time zone is widely used for scheduling and timekeeping in many parts of the central United States and Canada during the spring to fall period.
