Summer sun can end the fun

Summer is here! And with it come some dangers that can make your summertime fun much less enjoyable. Sunburn is one of those dangers.

To many people, the summer season means time off from school, carefully planned family vacations and sampling the fruits of the great outdoors.

On the down side, summer also brings sunburns. It’s a season when outdoor participants need to take extra precautions to protect themselves from the perils of too much sun.

Several studies over the years have indicated a higher incidence of skin cancer fatalities for those who spend large amounts of time outdoors. The best way to cut the number of skin cancer cases is to follow advice from the American Cancer Society (ACS)– avoid the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

But sometimes avoiding contact is not possible, so if you cannot avoid exposure, then there are some ways to prevent skin damage

Summer sunburns and overexposure to UVA and UVB rays from the sun, even without visible burning, are summer-time hazards that can have long-lasting effects. Frequent and prolonged sun exposure over many years is the primary cause of skin cancer. The ACS says those at risk are people with fair complexions, redheads, blondes and people with blue or grey eyes.

Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common type diagnosed in the U.S. In 2011, more than 1 million cases will be diagnosed, and 1,000 people will die from this form of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

The stats are grimmer for melanomas – an estimated 62,000 people will be diagnosed with this form annually. More than half of them will die from the disease, although not all in the first year after diagnosis.

Convincing people to take steps to reduce their risk of skin cancer by wearing sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats and long-sleeved shirts on a regular basis during the dog days of summer remains a challenge. Fortunately, extensive research has resulted in vastly improved products compared to the thick, gloppy versions of yesteryear.

If you’re not yet a regular sunscreen user, these innovations may help convince you to jump on the bandwagon. “Shows where it goes” formulations make it easy to see where you have and have not applied sunscreen.

Clear, non-greasy, oil-free, fast-drying and quick-spray are among the newest offerings on the shelf. Although initially developed with athletes in mind, sport, sweat-proof and water-proof formulas cut down on moisture running into anyone’s eyes.

Finally, you need not dread smelling like a coconut. Most popular sunscreen products are available in unscented versions.

Just remember, although sunscreen products have vastly improved, the old rule of thumb about sun protection factor (SPF) still applies – the higher the number, the greater the protection. Even if your summer activity is conducted in what you might believe to be a protected shade, it never hurts to take extra precautions against the danger of the summer sun.

Southwest Oklahoma lake levels

While some areas received some much needed rain in Southwest Oklahoma, the amounts did not have much effect on the overall lake levels. And the US Drought Monitor still has most of Western Oklahoma in the “Moderate drought” range with some areas falling into the “severe drought” category.

While Fort Cobb, Waurika and the Lawton lakes are still looking pretty good, Steed and Lugert did not get much help this spring. And both are struggling heading into the hottest part of the summer.

Altus-Lugert is still on a cycle of historically low levels, nearly 16 feet below normal level and a total capacity of only 42%. Believe it or not, that is actually an improvement over the last couple of years, but Lugert is really suffering the effects of a prolonged drought.

The Oklahoma mesonet has a mid-range projection for above average temperatures and below average precipitation for the next couple of weeks, so things could get worse before they get any better.

The National Weather Service and NOAA are predicting chance for current La Nina conditions to strengthen in the Pacific Ocean this Summer into Fall. If that happens then the chances for a dryer, hotter weather would increase for Oklahoma, a condition that would strengthen the drought.