In this paper a model for estimation of basin-wide snow water equivalent using snow covered area is presented. At first the relation between percent snow cover and snow water equivalent is made clear using topographical characteristics of some Upper-Tone basins and the snow distribution obtained by surveying the Takaragawa basin. The dependence of snow water equivalent to altitudinal distribution of a basin is determined using snow covered area and hydrological data. The results of the application of the model to five basins are in good agreement with observed data.