Scranton, Pennsylvania UV Index
Scranton UV index today — burn time, EPA scale, and sun-protection guidance
Scranton, PA · UV Index right now
Fair-to-medium skin (type III) burns in ~67 min
UV 3ModerateObserved 10:55 AM EDT
A UV index of 3 means unprotected skin can begin to burn in roughly 44 minutes for the most sun-sensitive skin (Fitzpatrick type I) and about 67 minutes for fair-to-medium skin (type III).
Peak UV today: 10:55 AM–2:55 PM
Estimated from today’s sunrise and sunset: UV is strongest in the two hours either side of solar noon (12:55 PM local time).
EPA UV Index scale
Current reading: UV 3 — Moderate.
Sun protection right now
- SPF & cover-up
- Wear SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses; seek shade near midday.
- Reapply
- Reapply every two hours and after swimming or heavy sweating.
- Safe exposure
- Unprotected fair-to-medium (Fitzpatrick III) skin can begin to burn in about 67 minutes at this UV level. Sunscreen, shade, and cover-up extend that window.
EPA / WHO sun-safety guidance; type III skin baseline. Current band: Moderate.
Burn time by skin type
The current UV index is 3 (Moderate) — unprotected skin can begin to redden fastest for the fairest (Fitzpatrick type I) skin and slowest for the darkest (type VI).
See the full minutes-to-burn table for every UV level and all six skin types in the sunburn-time guide.
Sun protection for today's UV
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UV through the year in Scranton
At Scranton’s mid-latitude the sun’s height swings widely through the year, and UV runs strongest in June, when the estimated clear-sky peak UV index reaches about 11 around solar noon. At that peak the noon sun reaches about 72° 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 | 27° | 2 | — | — | — |
| February | 36° | 4 | 33 | 50 | 167 |
| March | 46° | 6 | 22 | 33 | 111 |
| April | 58° | 9 | 15 | 22 | 74 |
| May | 67° | 11 | 12 | 18 | 61 |
| June | 72° | 11 | 12 | 18 | 61 |
| July | 70° | 11 | 12 | 18 | 61 |
| August | 63° | 10 | 13 | 20 | 67 |
| September | 52° | 7 | 19 | 29 | 95 |
| October | 40° | 4 | 33 | 50 | 167 |
| November | 30° | 2 | — | — | — |
| December | 25° | 2 | — | — | — |
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 Scranton?
- Around June, when Scranton's estimated clear-sky UV index peaks near 11 at solar noon. It is weakest around December, near 2. 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 Scranton?
- At the June clear-sky peak (UV 11), unprotected fair-to-medium skin (Fitzpatrick type III) can begin to burn in about 18 minutes, and the most sun-sensitive skin (type I) in about 12. In December (UV 2), midday UV stays below 3, where burn risk is minimal for most people.
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.