For the fourth year running, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is once again asking the public to help them in naming a fleet of new snowplows that will take to the roads and highways that crisscross the state.
The Name a Snowplow contest has been held by the Department for the past four years, beginning in the 2020-2021 winter season. The department put out a call for the public to submit names that would be considered for eight new snowplows that would head out to the different districts within the state. Each name was considered before moving on to a final vote by the public before being official bestowed upon one of the new plows.
The department asks the public to keep the names witty, unique and snow or Minnesota-themed, as well as being appropriate for public roadways. They also try to keep the contest as nonpartisan and nonpolitical as possible, therefore any politically inspired names are rejected outright.
In the contest’s inaugural year, the most voted name was “Plowy McPlowface,” a riff on a famous internet meme that, today, will inevitably show up in one permutation or another anytime the internet is asked to name something. However, other names that were submitted and subsequently chosen in that and following years include:
- The Truck Formerly Known as Plow
- Ope, Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya
- Yer a Blizzard Harry
- Betty Whiteout
- Better Call Salt
- Han Snowlo
MnDOT is encouraging the public to submit their names now in order to get them in ahead of the Friday, December 15, 2023 deadline, which can be done by accessing their website www.mndot.gov. MnDOT staff will review all the submissions, select some of the best ideas and invite the public to vote on their favourites in January 2024. Of those names, eight will again be chosen and given out to new snowplows before they hit the road.
Minnesotans, along with those who visit and make use of their roads, are encouraged to follow @MnDOT on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram for updates on the 2023-24 Name a Snowplow Contest, where they can also receive updates on winter weather alerts, safety messages, construction updates and more.
