Is It Too Hot To Walk My Dog?
This checks your local weather to tell you if it's safe to walk your dog right now.
We only use your location to fetch local weather. Nothing is stored.
CHECKING...
Finding your location
Air Temp —
Humidity —
Heat Index —
Est. Pavement Temp —
Before you head out, do yourself a favor and do the 5 second 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 our best guess, okay? Every sidewalk and driveway's gonna heat up a little different 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.
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.
Treat it as a ballpark. The 5-second hand test above is more reliable for any specific spot.
The verdict
- Too hot: heat index 105°F+ (heatstroke risk regardless of surface) or pavement 150°F+ (can burn skin in seconds).
- Use caution: hot enough to need precautions like grass over asphalt, adjusted timing, or water, but not extreme enough to cancel the walk.
- Safe to walk: neither of the above.