For the spatial pattern of the snow-cover measurements carried out in the winter of 1998/99 in a sub-alpine catchment, the altitude and the forest density showed to be the most important landscape parameters, whereas terrain slope and aspect were of minor importance for that specific area. The influence of the snow cover distribution on the snow-melt runoff was illustrated by means of a mathematical snow-cover model. For thirty of these randomly chosen sites, the snow-melt runoff was simulated. Although the variability of a simulated total runoff between these locations was considerable, their weighted mean corresponded closely to the measured runoff.