UV risk and sunburn in snow

Planning a family trip to the snow this winter? Here are some things you should keep in mind to help keep you and your family safe

We all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun in summer, but it can be just as important to be sun-safe in winter – especially if you’re heading to the snow.

It’s easy to get sunburnt at the snow. Here are some reasons why:

• UV radiation levels are more intense at high altitude than at low altitude (sea level) because the air is cleaner and there is less atmosphere to absorb harmful UV rays. UV levels increase by 10–12% with every 1,000-metre increase in altitude.
• Snow is highly reflective. On a sunny day, clean fresh snow can reflect as much as 80% of UV radiation. This means that UV radiation not only reaches you directly, it also reaches you indirectly when it is scattered and reflected by the snow.
• Ultraviolet (UV) levels can be high even when the temperature is cold and frosty

Remember the more you are exposed to UV radiation, whether it’s at the beach or on the slopes, the greater your risk of developing skin cancer.

Source: cancercouncil.com.au