Mountain Standard Time (MST) is a time zone used in North America. The spelling of "mountain" in IPA phonetic transcription is /ˈmaʊntən/. The first syllable "mau" is pronounced with an "ow" sound, similar to the word "cow". The second syllable "tin" is pronounced with a short "i" sound, like the word "sit", and the final syllable "n" is pronounced with an "un" sound, like the word "fun". This time zone is seven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-7).
Mountain Standard Time (MST) refers to the time standard observed in the Mountain Time Zone (MT), one of the nine standard time zones used in North America. It is primarily followed in regions that lie within the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) offset of -7:00 hours, which is seven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC-7).
Mountain Standard Time is generally observed in various parts of North America, including regions such as Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon in Canada, and states such as Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming in the United States.
MST follows the same standards as other time zones, where the standard time is determined by the mean solar time at the 105th meridian west of Greenwich, which roughly corresponds to the longitude that passes through the Rocky Mountains. Daylight Saving Time (DST) may also be observed in some regions within Mountain Standard Time, during which the clock is typically advanced by one hour.
The abbreviation MST is commonly used to indicate Mountain Standard Time in various contexts, including telecommunication, transportation, and scheduling of events. It helps ensure a standardized and coordinated time system, facilitating proper synchronization and communication among regions in Mountain Time.