San Antonio, Texas UV Index
San Antonio UV index today — burn time, EPA scale, and sun-protection guidance
San Antonio, TX · UV Index right now
No burn risk right now
UV 1.5Low
A UV index of 1.5 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: 11:40 AM–3:40 PM
Estimated from today’s sunrise and sunset: UV is strongest in the two hours either side of solar noon (1:40 PM local time).
EPA UV Index scale
Current reading: UV 1.5 — 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 San Antonio
San Antonio’s subtropical latitude keeps the sun high for much of the year, and UV runs strongest in May, when the estimated clear-sky peak UV index reaches about 12 around solar noon. At that peak the noon sun reaches about 79° 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.
| Month | Noon sunelevation | Peak UVclear-sky est. | Type Imin to burn | Type IIImin to burn | Type VImin to burn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 4 | 22 | 33 | 111 |
| February | 48° | 6 | 15 | 22 | 74 |
| March | 58° | 8 | 11 | 17 | 56 |
| April | 70° | 11 | 8 | 12 | 40 |
| May | 79° | 12 | 7 | 11 | 37 |
| June | 84° | 12 | 7 | 11 | 37 |
| July | 82° | 12 | 7 | 11 | 37 |
| August | 75° | 11 | 8 | 12 | 40 |
| September | 64° | 10 | 9 | 13 | 44 |
| October | 52° | 7 | 13 | 19 | 63 |
| November | 42° | 5 | 18 | 27 | 89 |
| December | 37° | 4 | 22 | 33 | 111 |
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 San Antonio?
- In San Antonio the sun rides highest around May, when the estimated clear-sky peak UV index reaches about 12. Within any day it peaks near solar noon — roughly 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time. It is also stronger at higher elevation and near reflective surfaces like water, sand, and snow.
- Can you get sunburned on a cloudy day in San Antonio?
- Yes. Up to about 80% of UV radiation passes through clouds, so you can still burn in San Antonio on an overcast day. The WHO notes that thin or scattered cloud offers little protection — check the UV Index, not the sky.
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.
More for San Antonio
See the full San Antonio, TX weather forecast — hour-by-hour outlook, NOAA radar, satellite, and air quality.