DermUV
UV Protection for Skiing & snowboarding
Fresh snow reflects up to 80% of UV, and altitude adds another 10–12% per 1,000 m. UV at a high alpine resort can be 2× the valley forecast.
Recommended gear
For skiing & snowboarding, DermUV recommends SPF 50+ and a reapply interval around 60 minutes, adjusted for sweat, water, and reflection.
Checklist
SPF 50+ broad-spectrum, designed for cold (won't sweat off but won't crack either) Goggles with UV400 lenses (snow blindness is corneal sunburn) Helmet + balaclava that covers cheeks and ears SPF 30+ lip balm — lips burn fast at altitude
More activity guides
Compare this activity with other outdoor UV situations.
How to read this UV Protection for Skiing & snowboarding page
The UV index is a measure of erythemal (skin-reddening) irradiance, where each whole point equals 25 mW/m² of UV energy reaching the surface. That is why burn-time estimates fall roughly by half when the index doubles.
UV strength on this page follows solar elevation, ozone thickness, cloud cover, altitude, and surface reflection. Snow can bounce back most of the UV that hits it, water and sand far less, but all of them add to the dose skin receives.
Plan outdoor blocks around the peak UV window, usually between 10am and 4pm local time. Shade, UPF fabric, a wide-brim hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses reduce dose more reliably than sunscreen alone.
Cloud cover is not protection. Thin or broken cloud can still pass most incoming UV, and light cloud edges can briefly scatter more UV toward the ground than a clear sky.
Cumulative dose drives photoaging and long-term skin damage more than any single day. Small daily exposures on commutes, walks, and driving add up across a season.
UV scale reference
The WHO scale groups UV 1-2 as low, 3-5 as moderate, 6-7 as high, 8-10 as very high, and 11 or above as extreme. Protection is recommended from UV 3 upward, and shade during the middle of the day becomes the priority from UV 8 upward.
A practical routine at moderate-to-high UV is roughly one ounce of broad-spectrum sunscreen for full-body coverage, applied 15 minutes before going out, then reapplied on schedule. Clothing, hats, and shade carry the rest of the load, especially for children and anyone with a history of easy burning.
Keep exploring DermUV
These pages give more depth around uv protection for skiing & snowboarding, from UV-scale reference material to definitions and city forecasts.
- UV Index 8 explained
- Live UV index today
- UV and sunscreen glossary
- MED definition
- What UV index 10 means
- What UV index 7 means
- What UV index 5 means
DermUV forecast values come from Open-Meteo UV data (CC BY 4.0) and are refreshed throughout the day.