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1. Snow nearly doubles your exposure to UV rays.

Snow reflects back 80-percent of UVA rays, nearly doubling your exposure! Slap on the sunscreen before hitting the ski slopes!

2. The atmosphere is thinner at high elevations.

UV increases by nearly four percent for every 1,000-foot increase in elevation. That’s a lot of exposure—much more than any day at the beach.

3. UVA rays can go through glass.

Even if you prefer the view from inside where it’s nice and warm, you’re still at risk for UVA skin damage. While UVB rays are mostly blocked by glass and clouds, 50- to 60-percent of UVA rays go right through windows.

4. The Earth is closest to the sun in the middle of the winter.

The changes of the season are a result of the tilt of the Earth, not how close our little blue planet is to the sun. In the northern hemisphere, we’re closest to the sun about two weeks after the winter solstice. We’re the furthest from the sun about two weeks after the summer solstice.

5. Ozone, the Earth’s “sunscreen,” is the thinnest during the winter.

Ozone acts like the Earth’s sunscreen, filtering out and protecting us from harmful UV rays. In the Northern Hemisphere, ozone levels are generally the lowest from December to March.

So put on your coat, grab your gloves and don’t forget the sunscreen!