 Mountains in Asia play an important role in providing water for downstream regions, particularly those that are arid and where water demand is high. However, direct observation of mountain precipitation is limited due to its remote location and low resolution of satellite data. This study used glacial mass balance measurements to estimate the amount of precipitation needed to maintain the observed mass balance of large glaciers in the upper Indus basin. The results showed that the amount of precipitation needed was much greater than what was estimated from grid precipitation data or observed at lower altitudes. Additionally, this study found that extreme precipitation events were necessary to close the water balance, which could have implications for climate change impact studies, hydropower plant designs, and irrigation reservoirs. This article was authored by WWM Brazil, and Wanderz, AF Lutz, and others.