Right now in Richmond, the air is about 80°F, but the model estimates the asphalt under your dog's paws is closer to 105°F — a gap of roughly 25°F, because heavy cloud cover is taking some of the edge off the direct sun. That reading puts Richmond 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 7 hours left today, the pavement in Richmond is projected to top out near 105°F around 5 PM, when the air will be about 80°F — a 25°F gap between the forecast your weather app shows and the surface your dog walks on. The surface is already coming down, about 24°F over the next three hours, so waiting a little works in your favour here.
In an average August, Richmond sees highs around 88°F and overnight lows near 70°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.
Richmond 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 91°F against 49°F in January, a 43°F swing that decides how much of the day belongs to your dog.
The nearest city we track is Newport News, roughly 69 miles from Richmond — 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 Richmond 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 Richmond 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.