Research papersA current precipitation index-based model for continuous daily runoff simulation in seasonally snow covered sub-arctic catchments

•A precipitation index-based model with a snow component was developed and tested.•The model can be used were underlying physical conditions of a basin are not known.•The model can simulate daily runoff from basins with seasonal snow cover.•The model performed best in small basins with less storage attributes.•An open-access Excel-based model is provided for runoff simulations.

A new precipitation index-based model, which includes a snow accumulation and melt component, has been developed to simulate hydrology in high latitude catchments. The model couples a point snowmelt model with a current precipitation index (CPI) formulation to simulate continuous daily runoff from catchments with seasonal snow cover. A new runoff conversion factor: CT and Lf, threshold flow factor ThQ and runoff transformation function Maxbas were introduced into the CPI equation, which converts and transforms the routed daily CPI into daily runoff and maintains the daily base flow in the catchment. The model was developed using twelve sub-arctic boreal catchments located above and below the Arctic Circle in northern Finland, representing a region with considerable seasonal snow cover. The results showed that the model can adequately simulate and produce the dynamics of daily runoff from catchments where the underlying physical conditions are not known. An open-access Excel-based model is provided with this paper for daily runoff simulations. The model can be used to estimate runoff in sub-arctic regions where little data is typically available but significant changes in climate are expected, with considerable shifts in the amount and timing of snowmelt and runoff.