Right now in Orlando, the air is about 67°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 68°F — the surface and air have nearly converged because clear skies are pouring full sun onto every dark surface. That reading puts Orlando in the clear for an ordinary walk. Air temperature alone would have told you none of this — the pavement, not the forecast, is what your dog actually stands on.
Across the 16 hours left today, the pavement in Orlando is projected to top out near 128°F around 2 PM, when the air will be about 83°F — a 46°F gap between the forecast your weather app shows and the surface your dog walks on. Today breaks into 2 separate safe stretches rather than one continuous window, so missing the first does not cost you the day.
In an average October, Orlando sees highs around 82°F and overnight lows near 68°F. Even at those moderate highs, a dark surface in direct sun can run 40–60°F hotter than the air, which is enough to tip midday walks into the caution range. For this month the normals suggest pavement rarely reaches unsafe temperatures here, but the seven-second hand test is still the final word on any given day.
Orlando loses its all-day safe window in 7 months of the year — March through September — and October is not one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 89°F against 70°F in January, a 19°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest place we track is Lakeland, about 49 miles away. That is close enough to move together in a heat wave but far enough that a passing cloud bank or a coastal breeze can put real distance between the two readings, so check Orlando's own page rather than assuming.
Whatever the number says, confirm it with your hand: press the back of it flat on the pavement for seven seconds. If you can't hold it there, neither can your dog. Conditions in Orlando are on the gentler side right now, but keep the same habits: water before and after, grass over asphalt, and a close eye on flat-faced breeds, seniors, and puppies, who overheat and burn sooner than a healthy adult dog.