Right now in Sioux Falls, the air is about 72°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 86°F — a gap of roughly 14°F, because clear skies are pouring full sun onto every dark surface. That reading puts Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls is projected to top out near 117°F around 2 PM, when the air will be about 84°F — a 34°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, Sioux Falls sees highs around 59°F and overnight lows near 42°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.
Sioux Falls 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 84°F against 26°F in January, a 57°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest city we track is Omaha, roughly 163 miles from Sioux Falls — 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 Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls 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.