Ota I is the homeworld of the Snogar, a technologically and intellectually limited yet sentient species. While it is the closest planet to the system's star, the surface of Ota I is covered entirely in glaciers and ice that reaches several miles deep in some areas. The frigid atmosphere is primarily attributed to dense cloud cover spanning the entire planet. Unusually strong wind currents lift crystalized ice particles high into the sky where they reflect nearly all of the sunlight, preventing it from heating the planet.

Despite the breathable atmosphere, the extreme climate makes exposure nearly impossible to survive without arctic protective gear. For hundreds of generations, the Snogar relied on ancient cities constructed by their evolutionary predecessors referred to as the "Old Ones." Little is known about this now-extinct species, though their knowledge in some fields of science rivals that of modern governments. In recent years, offworlders who were interested in studying the relics of the Old Ones have colonized the planet, much to the relief of the Snogar who were in need of heating and improved shelters. While all of the ancient cities studied thus far were on the surface of the planet, some experts theorized that the massive structures originally extended deep underground, possibly even to the core itself. A few of these same researchers believed that the technology in the long-forgotten metropolises may be the cause of the unnaturally powerful winds that prevent the planet from thawing.

Tourism on Ota I was a new development in recent years. The pristine snow, gentle slopes, and glacial caves proved an excellent location for arctic sports and activities, as speeder sled competitions flocked to the frozen planet to take advantage of the open landscape. Visitors enjoy the serenity derived from uninterrupted kilometers of untouched powdered snow, accented by towering glacial protrusions, all with the comforts and amenities provided by well-established modern outposts. During sunsets, just enough light breaks through the icy clouds to paint the entire snowscape a dazzling magenta. The sight of the pink-hued terrain has been described as one of the most romantic or nauseating scenes imaginable, depending on your sensory perceptions of light wave frequencies. Several separate eyewitness accounts also claim to have observed thin tornadoes slowly form from the soaring clouds and meander down towards the ground, resulting in a twisting flurry of dazzling snow, although these reported events have never been thoroughly investigated.