Sunny, dry weather pattern ends Friday around Portland area

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Another sunny, dry and warm day is expected across the Pacific Northwest as Portland prepares for cooler and showery weather this weekend.

The final day of Portland's gorgeous stretch of spring sunshine ends Friday as highs warm into the mid to upper 70s. The lack of rainfall has pushed Portland's rain deficit to nearly an inch as the Pacific Northwest prepares for a cooler and slightly wet Easter weekend.

A few early morning rain showers are possible for western Oregon and southwest Washington on Saturday. Showers will taper with afternoon dry breaks and sunshine. Mostly cloudy, but dry conditions will then kick off Easter morning. Scattered rain showers aren't expected around the Portland, Vancouver area until lunchtime and beyond on Easter Sunday. Rain accumulation isn't expected to be any more than a couple of one-hundredths of an inch to a tenth this weekend.

The isolated to scattered rain shower potential continues early next week. That's when skies will slowly dry and warm once again. Temperatures are expected to push towards the low 70s by the middle of next week.