Right now in Fayetteville, the air is about 85°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 85°F — the surface and air have nearly converged because the pavement is shedding the day's stored heat after dark. That reading puts Fayetteville in the caution range, where short, shade-hugging walks are the most a paw should take. Air temperature alone would have told you none of this — the pavement, not the forecast, is what your dog actually stands on.
Only 2 hours of today are left in Fayetteville, and the pavement is not expected to climb past about 85°F in that time. The surface is already coming down, about 4°F over the next three hours, so waiting a little works in your favour here.
In an average August, Fayetteville sees highs around 88°F and overnight lows near 72°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 10:00 AM and after about 5:00 PM.
Fayetteville loses its all-day safe window in 6 months of the year — April through September — and August is one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 90°F against 54°F in January, a 36°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest place we track is Cary, about 51 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 Fayetteville'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. On a day reading this warm in Fayetteville, flat-faced breeds like pugs and bulldogs, plus seniors and young puppies with thinner pads, should sit out the heat entirely — subtract about 10°F from any safe threshold for them. If you must cross hot ground, protective booties or a quick coat of paw wax are the only real barrier between paw pads and the asphalt.