Salem, Oregon UV Index
Salem UV index today — burn time, EPA scale, and sun-protection guidance
Salem, OR · UV Index right now
No burn risk right now
UV 0.8Low
A UV index of 0.8 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: 11:18 AM–3:18 PM
Estimated from today’s sunrise and sunset: UV is strongest in the two hours either side of solar noon (1:18 PM local time).
EPA UV Index scale
Current reading: UV 0.8 — 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 Salem
This far north the sun sits low for much of the year, so UV in Salem is concentrated in the high-summer months and peaks in May, when the estimated clear-sky peak UV index reaches about 10 around solar noon. At that peak the noon sun reaches about 64° 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 | 24° | 1 | — | — | — |
| February | 32° | 3 | 30 | 44 | 148 |
| March | 43° | 5 | 18 | 27 | 89 |
| April | 55° | 8 | 11 | 17 | 56 |
| May | 64° | 10 | 9 | 13 | 44 |
| June | 68° | 10 | 9 | 13 | 44 |
| July | 67° | 10 | 9 | 13 | 44 |
| August | 59° | 9 | 10 | 15 | 49 |
| September | 48° | 6 | 15 | 22 | 74 |
| October | 36° | 4 | 22 | 33 | 111 |
| November | 27° | 2 | — | — | — |
| December | 22° | 1 | — | — | — |
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 Salem?
- In Salem the sun rides highest around May, when the estimated clear-sky peak UV index reaches about 10. 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 Salem?
- Yes. Up to about 80% of UV radiation passes through clouds, so you can still burn in Salem 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 Salem
See the full Salem, OR weather forecast — hour-by-hour outlook, NOAA radar, satellite, and air quality.