Flood watch covers Skagway, Haines and Klukwan through Sunday night

Skagway, the Haines Borough and Klukwan are under a flood watch from late Saturday night through late Sunday night, with heavy rain arriving on top of unusually fast glacier melt.

That combination is what worries forecasters. A series of low-pressure systems is moving through the Panhandle while freezing levels sit high enough to accelerate melt on glacier-fed rivers, so the rain lands on water already running. The National Weather Service in Juneau says rivers, creeks and low-lying areas could flood.

Light rain Saturday evening gives way to a stronger system overnight. Skagway could see 2 to 4 inches total, with 1 to 2 inches in a single day. Haines could see 2 to 3.5 inches, with up to an inch and a half in 24 hours.

Wind comes with it. A wind advisory covers Skagway, Haines and Klukwan from late Saturday night into Monday morning, with southeast winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts to 60. Another runs until 4 pm Sunday for Juneau, Sitka and Glacier Bay, with gusts near 45 mph. In the Aleutians East Borough, forecasters warn of gusts to 60 mph at Cold Bay, King Cove and False Pass.

Forecasters advise securing boats and loose outdoor items, and say people living along streams should be ready to move if water starts rising. The flood watch could be upgraded to a warning.

Both communities know what this kind of rain can do. Record December rainfall in 2020 set off landslides in Haines and Skagway.