###### Abstract  
Snowdrift, as a natural disaster, constantly compromises railway traffic by affecting how snow accumulates on the subgrade. This paper establishes a unified set of similarity criteria for wind tunnel testing, using viscous silica sand to simulate snow particles. By employing a geometric scale model (1:30) and similarity criteria (size, motion, dynamics, accumulation patterns, and time scales), it systematically investigates the evolution patterns of wind-induced snow accumulation on two types of roadbed structures: embankments and excavations. This study also evaluates the effectiveness of snow fences, proposing optimized placement distances and quantifying the effects of snow accumulation platform width. The results showed the following: (1) Snow on embankments has a \"U\"-shaped distribution, with the lowest wind speed (<0.5 m/s) and maximum accumulation at the leeward slope's foot. In excavations, snow forms an \"M\"-shaped distribution, with significantly reduced wind speeds (<1 m/s) on the accumulation platform. (2) Snow fences effectively manage snow placement by lowering wind speed (below 1 m/s). A single-row snow fence with a porosity of 50% and a height of 3 m performs best when placed at seven times its height (7 H) from the slope's toe. (3) A 5 m snow accumulation platform in excavations reduces surface snow accumulation (distribution coefficient drops to 1.6), outperforming scenarios without a platform (coefficient of 2.0). These findings contribute to the prevention and control of snowdrift disasters along railway lines in cold regions. They offer practical guidance for optimizing snow fence configurations, while also laying a foundation for future improvements in experimental accuracy through advanced techniques such as PIV and real-snow testing. In addressing snowdrifts and measures to prevent them, domestic and foreign research usually adopts the method of combining theoretical analysis, field observation, and simulation experiments. As wind and snow movement constitutes a complex atypical two-phase flow, its mechanism is difficult to interpret accurately [5; 6; 7]. In recent years, obtaining regional environment and snow field conditions through field observation, along with conducting quantitative analysis combined with simulation experiments, has become the main method for studying the phenomenon of wind-blown snow [8; 9]. Existing studies primarily focus on wind speed, snow transport rate, and snow particle dynamics across different types of railway subgrades and structures. Wind tunnel experiments simulate a real environment by scaling down a solid model, enabling the study of the forces and motion states of snow particles. They allow for accurate control of wind speed, wind direction, and snow volume and closely replicate the natural flow field and the dynamics of snow particles. Compared with field monitoring, wind tunnel experiments have significant advantages in controlling experimental conditions. Early scholars laid a theoretical foundation for wind tunnel testing by examining initial wind speed, snow transport rate, and movement state, and discussed the corresponding experimental technology and material selection [10; 11; 12; 13; 14]. Current research on wind tunnel experiments involves varying scales and configurations of physical models to replicate real-world snowdrift phenomena, incorporating parameters such as wind velocity, snow particle characteristics, and terrain variations. At present, wind tunnel experiments mainly focus on wind engineering, building wind loads, sandstorm flow, and other fields, and analyze the wind load response and particle accumulation characteristics of special structures [15; 16; 17]. A series of prevention measures have been implemented for new railway projects in wind-blown snow areas, such as setting up snow fences, planting snow-proof forests, and building snow-proof corridors [18; 19].