Cooler, cloudier Friday ahead for Oregon, Washington

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Cooler and cloudier skies will make it feel more like the start of May than the middle of June around Portland on Friday.

A few rays of sunshine are expected to start the day Friday. It's the mostly clear skies that will help warm temperatures into the low 70s. Clouds will put a stop to that warming trend by the afternoon. A brief shower or two is possible for an isolated group along the Willamette Valley by Friday evening.

Western Oregon and Washington will see a better chance of rain come Saturday. Temperatures will struggle to warm higher than the mid-60s through the weekend. A few isolated rain showers could turn into thunderstorms. Lightning, thunder, small hail, gusty winds and heavy rain are all possible with Saturday's weather.

Temperatures will begin to warm after the rain chance subsides during the middle of next week. Afternoon highs will send Portland into the 80s by the end of next week.

Rain will likely keep pollen counts low through the start of next week. Sunnier skies and more summer-like temperatures will build through the end of next week. This comes as the official start to summer begins on Thursday, June 20.