Hidden danger lurks in broad daylight, pouncing on unsuspecting students right in front of their eyes. Ultraviolet rays assault skin even on the cloudiest or coldest of days.

"UV can be just as intense a day in April as it can be in August," said Luke Hall-Jordan, an outreach and education specialist with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Utah continually scores high on the UV index, which measures the amount of UV radiation hitting a certain area on any given day. Often, Utah scores so high, it scores off the UV index.

UV rays and Utah are close companions because of Utah's proximity to the sun.

"The biggest issue is altitude," Hall-Jordan said. "There is less atmosphere between the ground and the sun to block UV."

UV rays can especially be a problem for the mountain-loving outdoorsman.

"The higher you are the more intense UV is going to be," Hall-Jordan said.

Swimmers should also be aware they can burn through water. When the sun reflects off water, experts said, it is twice as damaging.

Another myth about UV rays is that they are only to be feared in the summer, Hall-Jordan said. UV rays are not as strong in winter, but the snow reflects them.

"You're getting it from above and below," he said. "A double dose."

Utah beats the national average for the number of melanoma cases a year and is in the top 10 for highest melanoma rates in the country.

Contributing to high cancer rates is the belief that building color in a tanning bed before going out can help protect skin from the sun's UV rays.

The rays in tanning beds cause deep tissue burns, said Kaylynn Fillion, a health educator with the Utah Department of Health. These deep tissue burns weaken the skin, decreasing the skin's ability to protect itself from the sun. Even those who tan instead of burn cause damage to their skin, resulting in premature aging.

"There is no such thing as a healthy tan," Fillion said. "It damages the skin."

Utah's love of the sun puts many at risk.

"We're a population that loves the sun," said Donna Branson, director of patient and public education for the Huntsman Cancer Institute. "Hiking, biking boating - we're a nation of sun worshipers."

Branson said Utah has a high percentage of fair skinned people. The No. 1 group that's most affected is red heads with freckles and blue eyes.

Other factors that put Utahns at risk for skin cancer, particularly melanoma, are immediate family members with melanoma or a history of severe or blistering sunburns.

"Most of the sun damage done to your skin is done in the first 18 years of your life," Branson said.

Those with these risk factors should do a self-skin examination for legions or suspicious looking moles of at least once a month, she said. Close attention should be paid to the scalp, bottom of the feet and in-between the toes. If cancerous moles or legions are caught in time, they can be safely removed. Left alone, cancerous moles or legions lead to cancer in the lymph nodes or other parts of the immune system or other organs.

Self-examinations are not enough, however. Precautionary measures, such as using sunscreen and covering up, should be taken anytime the UV index is high.

Copyright Brigham Young University 30 May 2008