Right now in Odessa, the air is about 83°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 93°F — a gap of roughly 10°F, because clear skies are pouring full sun onto every dark surface. That reading puts Odessa 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 15 hours left today, the pavement in Odessa is projected to top out near 154°F around 3 PM, when the air will be about 102°F — a 52°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, Odessa sees highs around 96°F and overnight lows near 75°F. At highs like that, sun-baked pavement can easily top 120–130°F by early afternoon, so the walkable hours cluster around dawn and after sunset. As a seasonal rule of thumb, the safest windows are before about 9:00 AM and after about 6:00 PM.
Odessa loses its all-day safe window in 7 months of the year — April through October — and August is one of them. The year peaks in July at an average high of 96°F against 58°F in January, a 38°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest place we track is Midland, about 20 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 Odessa'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 Odessa 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.