Snowtroopers, sometimes affectionately called "snowies" by fellow troopers, represented the Galactic Empire's most skilled stormtroopers, specifically trained and outfitted for combat in extremely cold climates within the Galactic Empire.
This specialized cold-weather assault class of stormtrooper employed by the Galactic Empire evolved from the clone cold assault troopers of the Clone Wars, who saw action on icy worlds such as Orto Plutonia, Rhen Var, and Toola. Within the snowtrooper ranks were specialized roles like Snowtrooper Scouts, Heavy Snowtroopers, and even Arctic Jumptroopers.
Snowtroopers accompanied standard stormtroopers when investigating the downed Venator-class Star Destroyer Tribunal. During this mission, their commanding officer, the Sith Lord Darth Vader, discovered the lightsaber that once belonged to his former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. Under the command of Captain Magna Tolvan, snowtroopers also participated in the pursuit of the rogue archeologist Chelli Aphra at the Citadel of Rur.
Three years after the Battle of Yavin, when the Empire pinpointed the location of the Alliance to Restore the Republic's base on the ice planet Hoth, the highly trained Blizzard Force, under the leadership of General Maximilian Veers, played a crucial role in the ensuing Battle of Hoth. This battle resulted in a significant victory for the Empire and dealt a serious blow to the Rebel Alliance. Not long after, at least one snowtrooper was involved in the invasion of Ison.
Snowtrooper armor featured substantial insulation to provide protection from extreme cold. The suit included a heated breather mask, powered by a battery pack that could last for up to two standard weeks. To enhance their chances of survival, the armor also incorporated ice boots, an insulated kama belt, polarized snow goggles, grappling devices, ion flares, and a homing beacon. Snowtroopers typically carried E-11 medium blaster rifles and E-Web heavy repeating blaster cannons. Some were trained in the use of either flamethrowers or T-7 ion disruptor rifles. Rank insignia plaques were integrated into the snowtrooper armor to identify commanding officers, as seen with Captain TS-4068. It was observed that snowtrooper commanders and lieutenants sometimes chose not to wear helmets, even in frigid conditions. A cold weather variant of the scout trooper was also in existence.