Why is the default account time set to Pacific time?
The default account time zone in Snowflake is set to Pacific Time (PT) for historical reasons related to the company's origins and development. Snowflake, the cloud-based data platform, was initially developed by a team based in the San Francisco Bay Area, which falls within the Pacific Time Zone.
Setting the default account time zone to Pacific Time provided a consistent reference point for the team during development and testing. It also helped align the default behavior with the team's local time zone for convenience and familiarity.
It's important to note that Snowflake allows users to configure the time zone at various levels, including the account level, session level, and individual queries. Users have the flexibility to adjust the time zone according to their specific requirements and location, ensuring accurate timestamp calculations and consistent time representation in their data operations.
While the default account time zone in Snowflake is set to Pacific Time, it can be easily modified and customized to suit the needs of users in different time zones and regions.