Some changes on the horizon. The ridge of high pressure that has moved on shore off the ocean will pass through the state and set up just to our east, starting a light southerly flow. Initially, it will raise our temperatures to near triple digit levels here in Reno, and possibly help pop up a few afternoon clouds. By Friday there might be enough monsoonal flow to give us a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms…with continuing chances through the first of next week.

So just how does the sun “burn” your skin? It seems strange, because rarely do you feel the skin “burning” when you are out in the sun (although you certainly feel it later). This is actually one of the things that make UV exposure so dangerous over time, because we tend not to do anything about it until it’s too late.

Let’s first talk about sunburns. There are two types of UV radiation: UVA and UVB. UVB has a shorter wavelength and affects the outer layer of the skin, and is the primary cause of sunburns. It doesn’t burn the skin the same way that putting your hand on a frying pan would (that would almost be better, since you’d feel the pain immediately and do something about it.) More tomorrow.