Today's Forecast

Mostly sunny, high of 80. Gothamist sees some rain on the weather.com radar, but apparently they don't think it'll come our way.

Yesterday Gothamist was aimlessly perusing the Nola.com website in search of some Louisiana news. Turns out the American Meteorological Society recently held its 33rd annual Conference on Broadcast Meteorology there. Though the article's writer didn't come across as a beloved fellow weather lover--hey, he works for the Times-Picayune and probably had to run over to another weird conference in the city as soon as this one was over--he did seem to enjoy one of the more gadget-y exhibitors:

The highest-tech gizmo demonstrated by EPA exhibit-booth staffer Jason Samenow was a UV-sensitive Frisbee, which turns purple in sunlight. School kids, he said, could experiment with the disc. Study the effect of sunglasses on the plastic. Slap some sun block on the thing and bake it in the noonday sun. Samenow was pitching the conference-goers on doing regular UV Index reports in newscasts. Now, only about half of all weather reports currently carry such awareness information.

The frisbee is part of an Environmental Protection Agency program called SunWise, an effort to teach elementary and junior high kids about UV protection. It even comes with a guide to addressing your own school's policy toward sun exposure. Not sure what that means--sunscreen at recess? Tinting classroom windows?--but still, Gothamist loves the idea, especially when there are probably lots of youngsters with moms, sisters and aunts still using tanning beds. Maybe there's a section called "Telling Aunt Shirley Her Otherworldly Orange Glow is Creeping You Out," or ways to avoid tanning peer pressure. Just say no to baby oil! (Sorry, it was a gimme.)

Gothamist appreciates getting a UV report, but she wears SPF 15 every day so the level doesn't really affect the way she prepares for her day. Is UV index something you consider in the morning?