Articles | Volume 30, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5901-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-5901-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Undercatch corrected gridded precipitation data to improve hydrological modeling in high-alpine orography
Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, BOKU University, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Caroline Ehrendorfer
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Sophie Lücking
Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Thomas Pulka
Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, 94720 Berkeley, CA, USA
Fabian Lehner
Department for Climate Impact Research, GeoSphere Austria, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Mathew Herrnegger
Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Herbert Formayer
Institute of Meteorology and Climatology, BOKU University, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Franziska Koch
Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, BOKU University, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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Short summary
Snow and rainfall measurements in mountain regions often underestimate the true amounts. We developed a method to correct Austrian precipitation data using weather stations and terrain features. The corrected data greatly improves runoff, snow and glacier modeling. This work shows that considering measurement errors is important for accurately assessing water resources, which is increasingly relevant as climate change affects alpine water systems supplying hydropower and downstream communities.
Snow and rainfall measurements in mountain regions often underestimate the true amounts. We...