Vitamin D in Texas in January: sun, UV and what to expect

Too cold Too cold here in January: afternoon highs average only 19.3°C, which is too chilly for sunbathing in light clothing. Try another month or a warmer destination.

4.3 hsun window (UV 2.5+)

4.2peak UV Index

13 minto a full dose

19°Cafternoon high

7/30rainy days

22/30sunny days

Open Texas for January on the map Find stays in Texas

How long in the sun in January?

If you travel anyway, plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 4.2. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 13 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 24 minutes at age 65.
Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 48 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.

Skin type	Full dose, age 30	Full dose, age 65	Time to burn
Type I	8 min	16 min	32 min
Type II	11 min	20 min	40 min
Type III	13 min	24 min	48 min
Type IV	19 min	36 min	71 min
Type V	25 min	48 min	95 min
Type VI	42 min	79 min	2.6 h

Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at South Padre Island, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.

Places in Texas in January

Place	Rating	Sun window	Full dose	Afternoon high	Rainy days
Padre Island National Seashore	Too cold	4.5 h	12 min	19°C	6/30
Corpus Christi	Too cold	4.3 h	13 min	18°C	5/30
South Padre Island	Too cold	4.3 h	13 min	19°C	7/30
Port Aransas	Too cold	4.1 h	13 min	17°C	7/30
Galveston	Too cold	3.8 h	14 min	17°C	6/30

Other months in Texas

Best months: March to July, October to December. Full Texas guide

Other sunny places in January

All best places for vitamin D in January