Right now in New York City, the air is about 73°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 93°F — a gap of roughly 20°F, because a mix of sun and cloud is still loading heat into the asphalt. That reading puts New York City 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 14 hours left today, the pavement in New York City is projected to top out near 115°F around 1 PM, when the air will be about 76°F — a 39°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 August, New York City sees highs around 83°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. As a seasonal rule of thumb, the safest windows are before about 11:00 AM and after about 4:00 PM.
New York City loses its all-day safe window in 3 months of the year — June through August — and August is one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 86°F against 41°F in January, a 45°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
New York City sits about 4 miles from Jersey City, close enough that the two usually run within a degree or two of each other — if your walk crosses between them, either page answers the question. Street-level conditions still differ more than city-level ones do: a shaded side street and an open parking lot half a block apart can be twenty degrees apart underfoot.
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 New York City 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.