Thursday, May 28, 2026, Portland is starting the day bright, dry and heating up fast, with afternoon highs headed for about 86°F. It will feel like mid-summer by lunchtime, but the calm will not necessarily last into the night. Showers and a few thunderstorms are possible late this evening, mainly over the Cascades, with a smaller chance that storms drift into the metro area between about 6 and 10 p.m.
What To Expect This Evening
The most active storms are expected over the Cascades and the Upper Hood River Valley, where the strongest cells could drop brief heavy downpours, hail up to around quarter size and strong outflow wind gusts. The National Weather Service Portland is calling for the main round of convection from late afternoon into the evening. Impacts in the valleys are less likely, but any storm that holds together while moving west could still bring localized hazards.
Rain Rates And The Commute
Storms that survive the trip off the Cascades could briefly pound parts of the metro with rain rates near one quarter to one half inch per hour. That is enough to quickly overwhelm clogged storm drains, slick up bike lanes and cause short-lived street ponding. If you have evening plans, pad your travel time, grab waterproof layers and steer clear of driving through standing water, no matter how shallow it looks.
Boaters, Beachgoers And The Week Ahead
A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for the coastal waters and the Columbia River Bar into Friday morning because of steep seas and frequent northwest gusts, so smaller boats should delay trips or use extreme caution. After tonight and Friday, the pattern turns drier for the weekend, followed by a warm-up early next week, with a shot at 90°F or higher by Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Check the latest from NWS Portland for marine notices and updated highs.
We will update this outlook if any watches or warnings are issued, so keep an eye on live radar this evening and, if you can, shift sensitive outdoor plans to earlier in the day. For emergencies call 911 and avoid flooded roads. Otherwise, enjoy the sunny, almost-summer feel this afternoon and be ready for a potentially soggy ride home if storms manage to slip into town tonight.
