Right now in Des Moines, the air is about 78°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 81°F — a gap of roughly 3°F, because the pavement is shedding the day's stored heat after dark. That reading puts Des Moines 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 4 hours left today, the pavement in Des Moines is projected to top out near 81°F around 8 PM, when the air will be about 78°F — a 3°F gap between the forecast your weather app shows and the surface your dog walks on. The surface is already coming down, about 15°F over the next three hours, so waiting a little works in your favour here.
In an average October, Des Moines sees highs around 63°F and overnight lows near 46°F. That keeps most of the day walkable, though a rare clear, calm afternoon can still warm exposed pavement more than the mild air suggests. 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.
Des Moines loses its all-day safe window in 3 months of the year — June through August — and October is not one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 85°F against 30°F in January, a 55°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest city we track is Cedar Rapids, roughly 105 miles from Des Moines — far enough that its reading is no substitute for this one. Sun angle, humidity and cloud cover can all differ across that distance, which is why this page models Des Moines on its own coordinates.
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 Des Moines 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.