Time Difference: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) vs. Los Angeles (Pacific Time)
Los Angeles observes Pacific Time (PT), which operates on two offsets from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) depending on the season:
- Pacific Standard Time (PST): GMT−8 (early November to mid-March)
- Pacific Daylight Time (PDT): GMT−7 (mid-March to early November)
Current Offset Examples
| When it is... | Los Angeles is... | Period |
|---|
| 12:00 GMT | 04:00 PST | Standard Time (Nov–Mar) |
| 12:00 GMT | 05:00 PDT | Daylight Time (Mar–Nov) |
| 00:00 GMT | 16:00 PST (prev day) | Standard Time |
| 00:00 GMT | 17:00 PDT (prev day) | Daylight Time |
Key Dates (2024–2025)
- PDT begins: Sunday, March 10, 2024 (2:00 AM → 3:00 AM)
- PST returns: Sunday, November 3, 2024 (2:00 AM → 1:00 AM)
- PDT begins: Sunday, March 9, 2025
- PST returns: Sunday, November 2, 2025
Practical Notes
- GMT ≠ UTC in precise contexts (GMT is astronomical, UTC is atomic), but for civil timekeeping they're identical.
- Los Angeles = America/Los_Angeles timezone (IANA).
- California voters approved permanent DST (Prop 7, 2018) but federal law change required—has not occurred.
- Business scheduling: 9 AM LA = 5 PM GMT (winter) / 4 PM GMT (summer).
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