UV index in Texas today
Texas is wide enough that UV shifts noticeably from the Gulf Coast to the high desert of El Paso. Pick your city below for local hourly UV and a risk-managed tanning-time estimate.
UV across Texas rises as you move south and west, with lower-latitude San Antonio and high-altitude, dry El Paso often peaking above Dallas and Fort Worth in the north. The index is strongest at midday and from late spring through early fall, regularly reaching the EPA high (6-7) and very high (8+) bands, 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, and altitude in El Paso plus Gulf humidity and sweat can change real exposure.
UV by city in Texas
Source & freshness
Each city page shows live UV via TanPilot's UV proxy; the peaks above are typical clear-sky summer references for Texas. Estimates only — not medical advice.
Questions
Which Texas city has the highest UV?
El Paso and San Antonio tend to see the highest peak UV: El Paso because of its higher elevation and dry, clear desert air, and San Antonio because of its lower latitude, both often reaching the EPA very high (8+) band on clear summer middays. Northern Dallas and Fort Worth run high but usually a step below. Altitude raises UV roughly 2% per 1,000 ft, so El Paso's reading can outrun what you'd expect; check each city's hourly UV. These are estimates, not medical advice.
When is UV lowest in Texas?
UV is lowest in the early morning and late afternoon, and seasonally during the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky. Even so, the EPA notes UV 3+ can occur on bright winter days, especially in southern and high-elevation Texas, and clouds, altitude and sweat can push real exposure higher than the index. Use each city page's hourly UV to find the genuinely low-index windows.
Is it safe to tan in Texas at midday?
Texas middays (roughly 10am-4pm) commonly sit in the EPA high (6-7) or very high (8+) bands, so the WHO advice to protect from UV 3+ applies and burn risk is greatest then. No tan is truly safe because any tanning is UV damage; if you're outdoors, the FDA recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30+ reapplied every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating, plus shade and clothing. Our tanning-time figures are risk-managed estimates, not medical advice, and your Fitzpatrick skin type, medications, altitude and reflective surfaces all change real risk.