To clarify the infiltration behavior of Ili loess slopes subjected to post-snowmelt intermittent rainfall, which often triggers frequent landslides in the Xinjiang Ili region. Taking the Alar Village landslide in Kuerdening Town, Gongliu County as a case study, this work aims to reveal the moisture infiltration characteristics under snowmelt–rainfall coupled conditions and to provide evidence for hazard warning and mitigation.. [Methods] One-dimensional undisturbed loess soil-column tests were conducted under three rainfall intensities (10, 20, and 30 mm/h). Four “rainfall–intermission” cycles were applied with an identical cumulative rainfall amount of 120 mm for all tests. Sensors were installed at depths of 10, 20, 30, 50, and 70 cm to continuously monitor volumetric water content (VWC), matric suction, and pore-water pressure.. [Results] During the snowmelt stage, only the shallow layer was affected, with VWC increasing by <2% and no evident response below 20 cm. During intermittent rainfall, the wetting front propagated with an obvious lag, characterized by a faster response in shallow layers and a slower response at depth. Under 10 mm/h rainfall, the depth influenced by a significant VWC increase reached 50 cm, whereas under 20–30 mm/h it did not exceed 30 cm. The peak surface VWC slightly decreased with increasing rainfall intensity. Surface matric suction decayed rapidly during rainfall and could approach 0 kPa; during intermissions, the recovery magnitude of surface suction tended to decrease as rainfall intensity increased. Pore-water pressure response was mainly concentrated at 10 cm depth, with peak values increasing from 18.82 to 19.69 kPa as rainfall intensity increased, while deeper sensors maintained negative pore pressure.. [Conclusion] The infiltration process of Ili loess under post-snowmelt intermittent rainfall exhibits pronounced stage dependence and “memory” effects, where antecedent rainfall promotes subsequent infiltration. Low-intensity rainfall favors deeper moisture migration, whereas higher intensity rainfall more readily induces rapid near-surface wetting and elevated pore-water pressure but limits the effective infiltration depth. These findings provide key parameters for loess-slope stability assessment and landslide early warning, and support engineering disaster-prevention design and geological hazard control in the Ili loess region.