Moisture coming up from the south will increase, giving us an increasing chance of thunderstorms as we head into the weekend. For Friday clouds will increase, although the chance of those producing any showers or thunderstorms in the Reno area is pretty slight, but those chances increase significantly Saturday and Sunday as deeper moisture moves in. High temperatures will remain in the “seasonable for the hottest time of the year” range, in the mid-90s.

Sunburns: The sun doesn’t burn you like a frying pan but rather nukes you like a microwave. UVB radiation excites the molecules in the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), causing the damage that can lead to painful aftermaths, not to mention many skin cancers.

UVA radiation has a longer wavelength than UVB, and as such can penetrate deeper into the skin. This triggers cells called melanocytes to produce melanin, which browns (tans) the skin. Some used to think that since UVA doesn’t burn the skin, that it was harmless, or even beneficial, and most tanning beds use the UVA part of the spectrum. But UVA might be even worse in the long run. Because it penetrates deeper, it can damage the immune system and the cell’s DNA, leading to melanoma… the deadliest form of skin cancer.

And for those of you who think that a tan will make you look more youthful, think again. Premature aging of the skin (read: wrinkles etc…) is a direct result of long-term exposure to UVA rays. So always use a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen.

And you might want to think twice before going into the tanning booth.