Right now in Memphis, the air is about 74°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 74°F — the surface and air have nearly converged because the pavement is shedding the day's stored heat after dark. That reading puts Memphis 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 24 hours left today, the pavement in Memphis is projected to top out near 146°F around 2 PM, when the air will be about 98°F — a 49°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, Memphis sees highs around 89°F and overnight lows near 73°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.
Memphis loses its all-day safe window in 5 months of the year — May through September — and August is one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 90°F against 50°F in January, a 40°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest city we track is Little Rock, roughly 130 miles from Memphis — 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 Memphis 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 Memphis 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.