Articles | Volume 29, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3055-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-3055-2025
Research article
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18 Jul 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 18 Jul 2025

The value of hydroclimatic teleconnections for snow-based seasonal streamflow forecasting in central Asia

Atabek Umirbekov, Mayra Daniela Peña-Guerrero, Iulii Didovets, Heiko Apel, Abror Gafurov, and Daniel Müller

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Cited articles

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Executive editor
This social relevant work is innovative, well-thought-out, and technically sound. The study has the potential to support water management in an under-served region that would benefit from this kind of operational forecast system (Central Asia). Free public availability of the author’s code and all the required input data means the forecast model is easily implemented in production systems.
Short summary
Seasonal streamflow forecasts for snowmelt-dominated catchments often rely on snowpack data, which are not always available and are prone to errors. Our study evaluates near-real-time global snow estimates and climate oscillation indices for predictions in the data-scarce mountains of central Asia. We show that climate indices can improve prediction accuracy at longer lead times, help offset snow data uncertainty, and enhance predictions where streamflow depends on in-season climate variability.
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