Twin Cities Metro Area: Sunburn Capital of the USA?

Who do you think would top a list of US places with the highest percentage of residents who had been sunburned in the past year? Somewhere like Florida or California with year-round rays? Actually, four of the seven counties in the Twin Cities metro area - Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka and Dakota - are all in the top 25. Anoka County is the local sunburn headquarters at number four on the list, with almost half of residents reporting that they had been sunburned in the last 12 months. Together with Utah, Minnesota is the state with the most presence at the top of the list.

After six months of winter, maybe we are too eager to get out and play in the sun and forget to apply sunscreen. Or perhaps it's all the watersports we do here. Swimming and boating are notorious for causing sunburn with water washing away sunscreen, and rays reflecting from the water intensifying the sun. And with the cooling effect of the water, by the time you notice you are burned you are well and truly sunburned. Or it could be the State Fair? There's a lot of red shoulders and glowing faces at the fairgrounds that have to account for a lot of those sunburns. Ouch.

And on the other end of the spectrum, what places do residents avoid sunburn most successfully? The south, particularly Louisiana, where it seems like almost everyone has learned how to be sensible in the sun, and Washington State, where there just isn't much sun.

Caught the sun this weekend? Relive the burn with some sunburn remedies