An open-slatted board fence usually 4 to 10 feet (1.2 to 3.0 meters) high, placed about 50 feet (15 meters) on the windward side of a railroad track or highway; the fence serves to disrupt the flow of the wind so that the snow is deposited close to the fence on the leeward side, leaving a comparatively clear, protected strip parallel to the fence and slightly farther downwind.