Estimation of snow bulk density and snow water equivalent on the Tibetan Plateau using snow cover duration and snow depth

•Few SWE measurements compared to SD.•A combination of simulated density and measured SD can be used to calculate SWE.•SD and SWE data of the Tibetan Plateau over nearly four decades are used.•Artificial neural network model based on snow cover duration and SD is proposed.•Our method allows the conversion of the historical and growing SD to critical SWE.