When is UV strongest in Houston?

Around June, when Houston's estimated clear-sky UV index peaks near 12 at solar noon. It is weakest around December, near 4. These are clear-sky estimates from the sun's angle and the city's elevation; clouds and ozone move the daily reading.

How fast can you get sunburned in Houston?

At the June clear-sky peak (UV 12), unprotected fair-to-medium skin (Fitzpatrick type III) can begin to burn in about 17 minutes, and the most sun-sensitive skin (type I) in about 11. In December (UV 4), type III skin takes about 50 minutes to begin burning and type I about 33.

Houston, Texas UV Index

Houston UV index today — burn time, EPA scale, and sun-protection guidance

Houston, TX · UV Index right now

Sunburn risk Minimal

UV 0LowObserved 8:15 AM CDT

A UV index of 0 sits in the EPA Low band: sunburn risk is minimal for most people, and no sun protection is needed for the average person outdoors.

Peak UV today: 11:14 AM–3:14 PM

Estimated from today’s sunrise and sunset: UV is strongest in the two hours either side of solar noon (1:14 PM local time).

EPA UV Index scale

Low0–2

Moderate3–5

High6–7

Very High8–10

Extreme11+

Current reading: UV 0 — Low.

Sun protection right now

SPF & cover-up: No protection needed for most people. You can safely stay outside.
Reapply: Reapply every two hours and after swimming or heavy sweating.
Safe exposure: At UV below 3 there is no meaningful burn risk for most people. You can be outside without sunscreen, though sunglasses still protect your eyes.

EPA / WHO sun-safety guidance; type III skin baseline. Current band: Low.

Burn time by skin type

How fast unprotected skin can begin to redden depends on the UV index and your Fitzpatrick skin type. Below UV 3 (Low), burn risk is minimal for most people.

See the full minutes-to-burn table for every UV level and all six skin types in the sunburn-time guide.

UV through the year in Houston

Houston’s subtropical latitude keeps the sun high for much of the year, and UV runs strongest in June, when the estimated clear-sky peak UV index reaches about 12 around solar noon. At that peak the noon sun reaches about 84° above the horizon. Each month below pairs the noon sun elevation with the estimated peak UV and how fast unprotected skin can begin to redden.

Noon sun elevation, estimated clear-sky peak UV, and burn time by skin type
Month	Noon sunelevation	Peak UVclear-sky est.	Type Imin to burn	Type IIImin to burn	Type VImin to burn
January	39°	4	33	50	167
February	48°	6	22	33	111
March	58°	8	17	25	83
April	70°	11	12	18	61
May	79°	12	11	17	56
June	84°	12	11	17	56
July	82°	12	11	17	56
August	74°	11	12	18	61
September	63°	10	13	20	67
October	52°	7	19	29	95
November	42°	5	27	40	133
December	37°	4	33	50	167

Clear-sky estimate from sun angle and elevation — day-to-day clouds and ozone shift the real index up or down. Burn times are first-redness approximations for unprotected skin, not a safe-exposure budget.

Frequently asked

When is UV strongest in Houston?: Around June, when Houston's estimated clear-sky UV index peaks near 12 at solar noon. It is weakest around December, near 4. These are clear-sky estimates from the sun's angle and the city's elevation; clouds and ozone move the daily reading.
How fast can you get sunburned in Houston?: At the June clear-sky peak (UV 12), unprotected fair-to-medium skin (Fitzpatrick type III) can begin to burn in about 17 minutes, and the most sun-sensitive skin (type I) in about 11. In December (UV 4), type III skin takes about 50 minutes to begin burning and type I about 33.

UV & sun-safety guides

See how the UV Index works — including why clouds are no shield — plus evergreen guides to burn time, vitamin D, skin-cancer risk, and when UV is strongest, collected on the UV Index hub.