Right now in North Charleston, the air is about 71°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 71°F — the surface and air have nearly converged because the pavement is shedding the day's stored heat after dark. That reading puts North Charleston 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.
Only an hour of today are left in North Charleston, and the pavement is not expected to climb past about 71°F in that time. The surface is holding roughly flat over the next three hours, so there is no meaningfully cooler hour coming soon — choose shade and grass rather than waiting it out.
In an average October, North Charleston sees highs around 77°F and overnight lows near 61°F. Those are forgiving numbers, but don't let them lull you — a sunny, still afternoon can still heat dark asphalt far above the air, especially for low-riding or short-coated dogs. 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.
North Charleston loses its all-day safe window in 6 months of the year — April through September — and October is not one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 88°F against 60°F in January, a 29°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
North Charleston sits about 6 miles from Charleston, 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 North Charleston 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.