Is It Too Hot To Walk My Dog?
Check your local weather to see if it's safe to walk your dog right now.
We only use your location to fetch local weather. Nothing is stored.
The actual air temperature right now, not what it feels like.
How much moisture is in the air right now, as a percent.
What the temperature actually feels like once humidity is added in.
How muggy the air is. Above 70°F, panting doesn't cool your dog off as well.
Our best guess at how hot the sidewalk or driveway is right now.
Before you head out, do the 5 second pavement test:
- Press the back of your hand flat against the pavement.
- Hold it there for 5 seconds.
- Can't make it that long? That's too hot for those paws. And no walk is worth burnt feet.
That pavement number up there is just an estimate. Every sidewalk and driveway will heat up a little differently depending what it's made of and how dark it is.
How this is calculated
Heat index
The NOAA/National Weather Service formula, combining air temperature and humidity into one "feels like" number. Humidity matters because dogs cool mainly by panting, and that cooling works less well as the air holds more moisture.
Dew point
Dogs cool off mostly by panting. When the air is already full of moisture, panting doesn't work as well, even on a day that doesn't feel that hot. That's why a muggy day with a dew point over 70°F can be tougher on a dog than the heat index alone suggests, so we check it on its own.
Estimated pavement temperature
- Starts from air temperature, then adds a boost from real solar radiation data (W/m², from Open-Meteo), which is a better signal than cloud cover, since direct sun heats surfaces more than air temperature alone suggests.
- The boost scales with how warm the air already is, topping out around +50°F on a hot, cloudless day, close to commonly cited real-world figures (~100°F air → ~150°F asphalt in direct sun).
- It does not account for surface material (asphalt runs hotter than concrete), shade, wind, or how long the pavement's been baking.
The 5-second hand test above is more reliable for any specific spot.
The verdict
- Too hot: heat index 105°F+ (heatstroke risk no matter the surface), pavement 150°F+ (can burn skin in seconds), or dew point 75°F+ (air's so muggy panting barely cools your dog down).
- Use caution: hot enough to need precautions like grass over asphalt, adjusted timing, or water, but not extreme enough to cancel the walk. Includes dew point 70°F+ (muggy air makes panting less helpful).
- Safe to walk: neither of the above.