UV index in Colorado today
Colorado's high elevation means thinner atmosphere and stronger UV than the latitude alone would suggest, especially in the mountains and on snow. Choose your city below for local hourly UV and a risk-managed tanning-time estimate.
Despite its northern position, Colorado sees surprisingly strong UV because altitude thins the protective atmosphere, raising the index roughly 2% per 1,000 feet, so mile-high Denver and even-higher Colorado Springs often reach the EPA high (6-7) and very high (8+) bands at midday in summer. Snow can reflect a large share of UV onto skin year-round, and the WHO advises protecting from UV 3 and up. Use the linked city pages and their hourly UV forecasts to plan around lower-risk windows; these are estimates to manage burn risk, not a promise of a safe tan or medical advice.
UV by city in Colorado
Source & freshness
Each city page shows live UV via TanPilot's UV proxy; the peaks above are typical clear-sky summer references for Colorado. Estimates only — not medical advice.
Questions
Which Colorado city has the highest UV?
Colorado Springs typically edges out Denver at peak because it sits at a higher elevation (about 6,000 ft versus 5,280 ft), and UV rises with altitude as the thinner air filters out less radiation. Both commonly reach the EPA high (6-7) or very high (8+) band on clear summer middays, and nearby mountain elevations are higher still, so check each city's hourly UV. These are estimates, not medical advice.
When is UV lowest in Colorado?
UV is lowest in the early morning and late afternoon, and seasonally during the winter months when the sun is low. However, Colorado's altitude and bright snow cover can keep real exposure higher than the index suggests even in winter, since snow reflects much of the incoming UV, and the EPA flags UV 3+ as worth protecting against. Use each city page's hourly UV to find the genuinely lower-index windows.
Is it safe to tan in Colorado at midday?
Colorado middays (roughly 10am-4pm) often reach the EPA high (6-7) or very high (8+) bands in summer, amplified by altitude, so the WHO advice to protect from UV 3+ applies and burn risk peaks then. No tan is truly safe because tanning is UV damage; if you're outside, the FDA recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30+ reapplied every 2 hours and after sweating, plus shade and clothing. Our tanning-time numbers are risk-managed estimates, not medical advice, and your Fitzpatrick skin type, medications, altitude and snow reflection all change actual risk.