Daylight saving time guide
PST vs PDT: Pacific Time and daylight saving
Pacific Time uses PST in winter and PDT during daylight saving time. Use America/Los_Angeles for exact conversions.
Quick answer
Live IANA timezone check
This page uses America/Los_Angeles, not a fixed abbreviation, so the browser's IANA timezone database can show the current short name and UTC offset.
California meeting notes
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver usually share Pacific Time behavior, but calendar invites should still use an IANA zone rather than only PST.
For precise scheduling, use the IANA timezone such as America/Los_Angeles and a real calendar date. Abbreviations are helpful labels, but they can be ambiguous and change with daylight saving time.
FAQ
Is California always PST?
No. California normally uses PDT during daylight saving time.
How many hours is PDT from UTC?
PDT is UTC minus 7 hours.
Why should I avoid only writing PST?
People may read PST as a fixed winter offset even when Pacific locations are currently on PDT.