Sun safety
UV Index Today
How fast does the sun burn unprotected skin right now? Each city page leads with today’s burn-time verdict, plots the live reading on the EPA five-band scale, and pairs it with SPF and sun-protection guidance from the EPA and WHO. Built on open Copernicus CAMS UV data — no ads, no app, across 31,257 U.S. cities.
UV burn time calculator
How many minutes until unprotected skin burns at every UV index, by Fitzpatrick skin type — an interactive calculator plus the full UV 1–11+ burn-time table and SPF guidance. Try the UV burn time calculator.
UV Index by city
The largest U.S. cities by population. Every city in the corpus has a UV page at /uv-index/[state]/[city].
- New YorkNY
- Los AngelesCA
- ChicagoIL
- MiamiFL
- HoustonTX
- DallasTX
- PhiladelphiaPA
- AtlantaGA
- WashingtonDC
- BostonMA
- PhoenixAZ
- DetroitMI
- SeattleWA
- San FranciscoCA
- San DiegoCA
- TampaFL
- MinneapolisMN
- BrooklynNY
- DenverCO
- QueensNY
- RiversideCA
- Las VegasNV
- BaltimoreMD
- St. LouisMO
- PortlandOR
- San AntonioTX
- SacramentoCA
- OrlandoFL
- AustinTX
- San JoseCA
- San JuanPR
- IndianapolisIN
- PittsburghPA
- CincinnatiOH
- Kansas CityMO
- ClevelandOH
- ManhattanNY
- ColumbusOH
- CharlotteNC
- BronxNY
- Virginia BeachVA
- JacksonvilleFL
- ProvidenceRI
- MilwaukeeWI
- NashvilleTN
- Salt Lake CityUT
- RaleighNC
- RichmondVA
- MemphisTN
- Oklahoma CityOK
- HartfordCT
- LouisvilleKY
- Fort WorthTX
- BridgeportCT
- BuffaloNY
- New OrleansLA
- TucsonAZ
- El PasoTX
- OmahaNE
- McAllenTX
Browse by state
Every state hub lists all of its cities’ UV pages, largest first, anchored to the state’s latitude band.
- AlabamaAL
- AlaskaAK
- ArizonaAZ
- ArkansasAR
- CaliforniaCA
- ColoradoCO
- ConnecticutCT
- DelawareDE
- District of ColumbiaDC
- FloridaFL
- GeorgiaGA
- HawaiiHI
- IdahoID
- IllinoisIL
- IndianaIN
- IowaIA
- KansasKS
- KentuckyKY
- LouisianaLA
- MaineME
- MarylandMD
- MassachusettsMA
- MichiganMI
- MinnesotaMN
- MississippiMS
- MissouriMO
- MontanaMT
- NebraskaNE
- NevadaNV
- New HampshireNH
- New JerseyNJ
- New MexicoNM
- New YorkNY
- North CarolinaNC
- North DakotaND
- OhioOH
- OklahomaOK
- OregonOR
- PennsylvaniaPA
- Puerto RicoPR
- Rhode IslandRI
- South CarolinaSC
- South DakotaSD
- TennesseeTN
- TexasTX
- UtahUT
- VermontVT
- VirginiaVA
- WashingtonWA
- West VirginiaWV
- WisconsinWI
- WyomingWY
UV & sun-safety guides
Plain-language reference on the EPA UV scale, how fast skin burns at each level, how UV drives vitamin D, and when the sun is strongest by hour, season, and latitude.
Frequently asked
- What is a safe UV index?
- The EPA considers a UV Index of 0–2 (Low) safe for most people with no protection needed. From 3 (Moderate) up, sun protection is recommended; 6–7 is High, 8–10 is Very High, and 11+ is Extreme, where unprotected skin can burn in minutes.
- What SPF do I need for UV index 8?
- At UV Index 8 (Very High), both the EPA and WHO recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30, reapplied every two hours, plus a hat, sunglasses, and shade. SPF 50+ adds margin for fair skin or extended midday exposure.
- Does the UV index account for cloud cover?
- Yes. The forecast UV Index issued by agencies like the EPA factors in expected cloud cover, ozone, elevation, and the sun's angle for the day. It reflects the peak UV expected around solar noon, not a fixed clear-sky value.