If you've been thinking the 'snowpocalypse' and 'snowmageddon' storms that have hit the eastern United States have been bad, here are 17 worlds from around the galaxy that should leave you feeling better about a little snow.
We realize these are only the—ahem—tip of the iceberg as far as frozen planets go, and there are many, many more, but they should be be enough to remind you that things could have been much worse.
MOVIES
Hoth, Empire Strikes Back
Hoth is the planet that comes to mind when you think snow: completely covered in ice, Hoth was the home to the Rebel Alliance for a short time following the destruction of the first Death Star, and was evacuated when discovered and attacked by Darth Vader. Home to indigenous life forms, inhabitants would do well to seek cover at night when the temperature drops to dangerous levels.
Delta Vega, Star Trek (2009)
A class M planet in the Vulcan system, Delta Vega is the home to a small Starfleet outpost. Ambassador Spock was marooned on the planet following his capture by Captain Nero, and in turn rescued James Kirk after dropped off as a mutineer. The planet is also home to several large and unfriendly life forms that are best left alone.
Rura Penthe, Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country
A glacier-covered asteroid, Rura Penthe is the home to a Klingon penal colony and is a major source of dilithium. Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer was sentenced to hard labor on the colony, but was later rescued.
U.V.6, Chronicles of Riddick
An uninhabited world, also known as Planet UV, this was the home to the fugitive Riddick for several years while he was on the run from authorities. Riddick eked out his own existence in the cold, before escaping when hunted down by a group of bounty hunters.
Earth, (A.I., The Day After Tomorrow, Sunshine, Ice Age)
Earth has been depicted numerous times covered in snow and ice: A.I. sees a far future, where the surface of the planet is covered in an ice layer, The Day After Tomorrow sees an abrupt beginning to an ice age, briefly in Sunshine as the sun's solar energy diminishes, and a prehistoric ice age in the film by the same name.
TELEVISION
Unnamed, Stargate Universe, "Water"
This hostile world was discovered by the crew of the Destiny shortly after arriving and discovering that their water supplies have been depleted. This unnamed planet is cold at -47 degrees, with a thin and toxic atmosphere. The crew explored small areas around the Stargate looking for uncontaminated ice before locating a small reserve to replenish the ship.
Ice Moon, Battlestar Galactica, "Water"
Following an explosion onboard the Battlestar Galactica as it fled the colonial worlds, this small moon was discovered and approached by Raptor pilots Sharon Valerii and Alex Quartararo to see if it contained water. It did, and freed prisoners were tasked with mining the ice from the moon to replace what had been lost in the explosion.
Orto Plutonia, The Clone Wars, "Trespass"
An icy world in the Pantora system, Orto Plutonia is claimed by Pantoran people, while a small Talz colony lived on the surface. During The Clone Wars, the Republic placed an outpost on the world, as did the Separatists, although both forces were killed off by the protective Talz, almost resulting in further military action before a peace was negotiated.
Vega 7, Babylon 5, "Convictions"
A cold planet 25 light years from Earth, Vega 7 is the furthest planet from its star, with an Earthforce presence in the system. Vega 7 is home to an ice mining operation, where at one point a terrorist bomber, Robert Carlson (whose picture above will have to stand in for the planet, since we couldn't find a pic of it), stole explosives to use onboard Babylon 5.
Hospital Planet, Farscape, "Die Me, Dichotomy" and "Talk Season of Death"
Home to The Diagnosan and his assistant Grunchlk, this unnamed world was visited by Moya and her crew after the ship was damaged in an attack. Carved into the ice, Gruchlk has used the world as a medical and cryogenic facility where he treated Moya and worked to remove Crichton's brain chip.
St. Albans, Firefly, "The Message"
A mountainous, cold planet, St. Albans is described as one of the coldest in the 'verse. Continually covered in snow, the planet is inhabited by miners, and was the home of Private Tracey Smith, who served under Captain Malcom Reynolds during the War. Reynolds and his crew travelled to the planet to deliver Smith's body after he was shot and killed.
KS7-535, Stargate SG-1, "Lockdown"
A milky-way planet connected to the Stargate network, this world is uninhabitable due to its freezing temperatures. The gate was visited by Col. Alexi Vaselov after he was infected by Anubis when Stargate Command allowed him to escape, trapping Anubis when Vaselov perished due to the temperatures.
Unnamed Glacial World, Stargate SG-1, "Beneath the Surface"
Covered in a planetary ice age, this planet's society has found that the best way to cope with an ice age is to burrow below the ice and subjugate their population. SG-1 was captured and had their own minds wiped when they discovered the truth about the city and its inhabitants, but realized their situation and revealed the truth before escaping back to earth.
BOOKS
Gethen / Winter, Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
Gethen, also known as Winter, is a strange, frozen world. Because its axis is not tilted and coupled with a strange orbit, the planet has long seasons, with the winter months freezing the entire planet. The seasons affect the Gethenians, who have adapted to the cold biologically, and despite the long temperature swings, the world is habitable to most forms of life.
Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, Song of Fire and Ice series, George R.R. Martin
The location for George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series set in a fantastic world known as Westeros. Far to the north is a region that is largely unexplored, blocked off by a protective ice wall and inhabited by Wildlings. At the start of the series, a long period of summer is coming to a close, and a long, harsh winter is approaching.
Darkover, Marion Zimmer Bradley
Darkover is the only habitable world orbiting a red giant known as Cottman, the fourth planet in its system. The entire world is mired in an ice age, with a thin habitable region around the equator that can support some life and agriculture, although even that region is free from the snow for only a couple of weeks of the year. With an erratic axis, geography and several moons, the planet is a harsh place to live.
Simia Orichalcae, Caves of Ice, Sandy Mitchell
Simia Orichalcae is an ice world where Commissar Ciphias Cain and his Valhallan Regiments fought hordes of orcs and ultimately discovers far more sinister infestations while there. Here, it's not just the cold that makes life harsh, but the neighborhood as well.
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