An outdoor experiment is conducted to investigate snowdrift that has much effect on the formation of snow cover depth on roof surface. Three types of model roof with respective roof levels and on existent roof are used to measure changes in snow cover depth and snowdrift with time. At the same time, the wind velocity, temperature and snow cover depth above the ground are measured. The levels of the existent roof surface ranges from 9 to 12 m. The results of this experiment are obtained as follws :
1) The higher the roof surface, the more the snowdrift. Snow cover depth on a roof is less than that on the ground.
2) Snowdrift on a roof is more likely to occur than that on the ground, because the surface wind has a vertical distribution, which increases in value with height.
3) The larger the roof surface is, the more the amount of snowdrift becomes when the wind blows hard. Hence, as roofs increase in area, the distribution of snow cover has become more ununiform.

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Landslides in the Hokuriku district occur mainly in snowmelt period (usually from March to May). Therefore, it is important to make the generating mechanism of snowmelt water clear. It will help us analyze the stabitity of slope.
For this study, we set up new equipments which enabled us to observe snowmelt water and snowmelt factors (the air temperature, the earth temperature, the snow temperature, solar radiation etc).
Based on our field observation, the present paper reports the generating mechanism of snowmelt water, which was explained by the heat absorbed and released, and the snow transformed.

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