Snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements for better management of water resources to reduce drought risk

Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) represents the amount of water available at melt in the snowpack. It is an important source of water, stored during wet season, and made available with a certain delay, during warmer and dryer period, somehow naturally compensating the lack of direct precipitation contribution. This melting water can be used for all the human activities as for drinking water, crop irrigation, energy production, etc. Knowing in advance the amount of this resource and the timing of its availability could be strategic in improving water resources management. An innovative, flexible and reliable methodology is here proposed for SWE assessment.