Right now, you're probably staring at a screen trying to figure out a meeting time or a flight arrival. You typed in what time is now PDT because something feels off. Here is the blunt truth: If you are asking this in the middle of January, the answer is technically "none."
Nobody is on PDT right now.
We are currently in the depths of winter, specifically January 16, 2026. In the Pacific region of North America, we are observing Pacific Standard Time (PST). PDT, which stands for Pacific Daylight Time, is the summer schedule. It’s a common mix-up. People use the terms interchangeably, but they are actually different offsets from the global clock.
The Difference Between PDT and PST
If you absolutely need the current time for the West Coast (places like Los Angeles, Vancouver, or Seattle), it is 10:50 PM PST.
Wait, why does that matter?
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Because PDT is UTC-7, while PST is UTC-8. If you set your calendar to PDT today, you are literally living an hour in the future. That is a one-way ticket to showing up to a Zoom call while your boss is still eating breakfast.
When does what time is now PDT actually become relevant?
We have to wait until the flowers start blooming. According to the 2026 calendar, the big switch happens on Sunday, March 8, 2026. At 2:00 AM, the clocks "spring forward." That is the exact moment when the West Coast stops using PST and officially starts using PDT again.
Honestly, the whole system is a bit of a headache.
California has been trying to kill the clock change for years. You might remember Proposition 7 back in 2018. Voters said "enough," but the state legislature has been stuck in a loop. There was even a bill, SB 51, that aimed to make standard time permanent starting in January 2026. However, as of right now, the federal government still has the final say on daylight saving time, and they aren't exactly moving fast.
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Cities currently waiting for PDT
While the name "Pacific" makes you think of the ocean, this time zone stretches pretty deep into the continent.
- California: From San Diego up to the Oregon border.
- Washington State: Every inch of it, including the rainy bits of Seattle.
- Nevada: Most of the state, though some towns near the Idaho border like to flirt with Mountain Time.
- Oregon: Almost all of it, excluding a tiny slice of Malheur County.
- British Columbia: Vancouver and Victoria are the big ones here.
If you’re in one of these spots, your phone probably updated itself automatically. But if you are manually setting a watch or a microwave, you should be looking for the "Standard" setting, not "Daylight."
Why the PDT confusion persists
We get lazy with language. It's easier to say "Pacific Time" or "PT." But "PT" is a generic bucket. Inside that bucket, we swap between PST and PDT like we’re changing outfits for the season.
There is also the "Arizona Factor." Most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) stays on Mountain Standard Time (MST) all year. Because MST has the same offset as PDT (UTC-7), during the summer, California and Arizona are on the same time. During the winter—like right now—Arizona is one hour ahead of the Pacific coast.
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It's a mess.
If you are a programmer or a data nerd, you probably just use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) to avoid this. Right now, to get from UTC to the Pacific coast, you subtract 8 hours. When we eventually switch to PDT in March, you'll only subtract 7.
What about the rest of the world?
If you're trying to coordinate a call from London or Tokyo, the gap changes twice a year.
- London (GMT): Currently 8 hours ahead of the Pacific.
- New York (EST): Always 3 hours ahead of the Pacific (unless one zone has switched and the other hasn't yet).
- Sydney (AEDT): They are in summer right now, so they are a staggering 19 hours ahead.
Actionable steps for your schedule
Since you searched for what time is now PDT during a time of year when PDT isn't active, you likely have a sync issue. Here is how to fix it:
- Check your "Set Automatically" toggle: Go into your phone’s Date & Time settings. If this is off, you’re asking for trouble.
- Use a Military Offset: If you’re booking a global meeting, write "10:00 AM PT" instead of PDT. It lets the software handle the standard/daylight math for you.
- Mark March 8 on your calendar: That’s the day you lose an hour of sleep and PDT actually returns.
- Verify for Travel: If you have a flight today, the airline is using PST. Don't show up an hour early because you did the PDT math.
The simplest way to stay sane? Just remember that "Daylight" is for sunshine and "Standard" is for snow. Since it’s January, stay on Standard time.
Check your clocks, grab a coffee, and stop worrying about the summer schedule until March.