Think August has been un-summer-like in the Portland area? Wait till you get a look at Saturday

You can go ahead and put the sunscreen away. At least for Saturday, Aug. 16.

KOIN 6 News meteorologist Josh Cozart predicts that Friday will be the calm before the storms that are expected around the greater Portland metro area Saturday.

Decreasing clouds Friday will help temperatures warm into the mid- to upper-70s. That’s still slightly below the average of 83 degrees for the middle of August. No precipitation is expected in western Oregon and southwest Washington, but it’s a different story out east. Lingering storms will keep the wildfire threat elevated east of the Cascades.

But Portland’s thunderstorm threat starts to increase mid-day Saturday, Cozart said. The strongest of the storms are expected around the Willamette Valley during the late evening hours, just before sunset. Large hail, damaging winds and frequent lightning are all possible with Saturday’s storms.

KOIN 6 News is a partner of this publication. Find the original story here .