Weather Tidbits: The UV Index

This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the UV index. The UV index is an ultraviolet scale showing how intense the UV radiation from the sun will be for a given time during the day. Factors that can change the UV index include the sun angle, elevation, cloud cover, and even air pollutants. When the UV index is between 1-2, the burn time between 10AM to 2PM is 60 minutes, and only SPF 30+ sunscreen is recommended. A UV index between 3 and 5 features a 30-45 minute burn time, and sunscreen along with some midday shade is recommended. A UV index between 6 and 7 features a 15 to 25 minute burn time with sunscreen, some midday shade, and limited outdoor time recommended. A UV index between 8 and 10 features a burn time of about 15 minutes, recommending all of the above including advice to avoid the sun between 10AM and 2PM. The same goes for an 11+ UV index with a 10 minute burn time.