If you choose not to wear sunglasses, what you are likely to do is get cataracts or other damage: ” UVB rays are the ones that burn the skin and can damage the eyes. Combined with cold wind and snow, UVB has the potential to cause snow blindness (photokeratitis), a temporary (lasting 12 to 48 hours) but painful problem in the cornea of the eye. Although not all scientists agree, there is some research that suggests that daily exposure to UVB in very bright sunlight over a period of many years may cause cataracts, a gradual clouding of the lens of the eye. Experts also suspect that the primary cause of eye growths such as pingueculae or pterygia is exposure to UVB rays.”