Right now in McAllen, the air is about 84°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 89°F — a gap of roughly 5°F, because the pavement is shedding the day's stored heat after dark. That reading puts McAllen 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 4 hours left today, the pavement in McAllen is projected to top out near 89°F around 8 PM, when the air will be about 84°F — a 5°F gap between the forecast your weather app shows and the surface your dog walks on. The surface is already coming down, about 8°F over the next three hours, so waiting a little works in your favour here.
In an average October, McAllen sees highs around 88°F and overnight lows near 69°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.
McAllen loses its all-day safe window in 8 months of the year — March through October — and October is one of them. The year peaks in August at an average high of 98°F against 73°F in January, a 25°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest place we track is Brownsville, about 50 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 McAllen'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. Conditions in McAllen 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.