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Getting through winter can be tough, especially if you live in a part of the country that gets heavy snowfall. Many regions around the United States have decided to inject some fun into winter storm season by holding Name a Plow contests, wherein the public has the opportunity to submit name suggestions for the area’s snow plows. Residents then get a chance to vote on their favorites, resulting in plow names that are clever, creative, and hilarious. Many involve snow-based puns and references to media franchises or celebrity names.
Naming Contests Around the U.S.
Not every state is equipped with an extensive network of snow plows, but many cold-weather states have opted to bring attention to their snow-clearing operations in recent years by hosting Name a Plow competitions.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MDoT), for example, has held its Name a Snowplow contest for three years in a row. This year’s event received an impressive 10,000 votes. In 2023, the MDoT staff selected 60 finalists based on creativity and the number of times an entry is submitted.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation leaves the naming up to districts’ schoolchildren, allowing each school to vote on a name for a plow in their district, resulting in dozens of hilarious options across the state.
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In Ohio, the state’s Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission held its first snow plow naming competition at the end of 2021. For 2022, they selected eight winners, giving each winner a $100 gift card. While the Turnpike Commission’s contest is all in good fun, it also serves to raise awareness about safety. The contest serves as a reminder to drivers to allow plenty of room for plows to work and to always avoid passing a plow while it’s in action.
Charles Cyrill, a public information officer for the Turnpike Commission, told the Akron Beacon Journal that the contest also acts to express appreciation for hardworking plow operators, saying, “For our experienced and dedicated crews, the Name-A-Snowplow contest is an opportunity to recognize them for their hard work around the clock ensuring that turnpike customers have a safe driving experience.”
In Colorado, the Department of Transportation held its inaugural Name a Plow contest in 2021 and enlisted elementary school students to help the state choose 20 new plow names. Governor Jared Polis was thrilled with the results, remarking, “The creativity of Colorado’s kids shines through in this great group of names and we’re appreciative to all who offered their ideas in this first-ever contest.”
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation held its own competition for the 2022-2023 season, with students from across the state participating for the chance to have their chosen name emblazoned on a plow in their district. Not only that, but the winners also received a $100 gift card for school supplies and a visit from the plow they named.
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The Nevada Department of Transportation didn’t want to be left out, so it held its first annual name-a-plow competition in 2022. NDOT Director Kristina Swallow said that the intention was to “promote the hard work of our snowplow operators to keep our roads clear for residents and travelers during the winter months.”
The city of Chicago joined in on the fun too, allowing all city residents to participate. They ended up receiving a whopping 17,000 responses and narrowed their finalists down to seven winners. They even have a plow tracker which lets residents see where the plows are at any given time.
The Best Snow Plow Names of the Season
With so many creative names to choose from, picking favorites is no easy task. These are 25 of the funniest and most memorable plow names from around the country, all of which were winners or finalists in state Name-a-Plow contests for the 2022-2023 season.
- The Big Leplowski Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission
- Blizzard of Oz Massachusetts Department of Transportation
- Buzz Iceclear Vermont Agency of Transportation
- Snowprah Winfrey Michigan Department of Transportation
- Scoop! There It Is Minnesota Department of Transportation
- Sears Plower Chicago Streets and Sanitation
- Catch My Drift Vermont Agency of Transportation
- Melton John Michigan Department of Transportation
- SnowBeGone Kenobi Nevada Department of Transportation
- Better Call Salt Minnesota Department of Transportation
- Yer a Blizzard, Harry Minnesota Department of Transportation
- Han Snowlo Minnesota Department of Transportation
- Snowba Fett City of Boulder
- Sherlock Snowmes Massachusetts Department of Transportation
- Grateful Sled City of Boulder
- Edgar Allan Snow Michigan Department of Transportation
- CTRL-SALT-DELETE Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission
- Cirque du Snowleil Nevada Department of Transportation
- Ploward Vermont Agency of Transportation
- Sleetwood Mac Michigan Department of Transportation
- Clearopathra Minnesota Department of Transportation
- Fast and Flurrious Vermont Agency of Transportation
- Sled Zeppelin Massachusetts Department of Transportation
- Scoopy Doo Vermont Agency of Transportation
- Plowthagorean Theorem Michigan Department of Transportation
