Make your claim to fame with a new name — for a snowplow.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is inviting the public to join in on its sixth annual Name a Snowplow contest. Voting is open as of Thursday and goes through noon on Feb. 13, with votes deciding eight new snowplow names – one for each MnDOT district.
Participants can only vote once but can select up to eight names from the list of 30 finalists. To see that list and to vote, go to mndot.gov/nameasnowplow.
The 30 finalists were selected by MnDOT from more than 6,750 submissions received in December.
They include names such as 867-530 Brine, presumably a reference to the 1981 song 867-5309/Jenny by the band Tommy Tutone. Another finalist, O Brother, Where Art Plow?, likely gives a nod to the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which was written and directed by Minnesota-natives Joel and Ethan Coen.
‘Anthony Sledwards,’ ‘Taylor Drift,’ among past winners
Last year’s winner was Anthony Sledwards, likely in honor of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Other past winners include Taylor Drift, Plowy McPlowFace and The Big Leplowski. Previous contests have named 40 snowplows, in addition to four snowplows named by MnDot staff in recognition of the highways they maintain next to tribal lands.
There’s a slight chance of snow next week, according the National Weather Service.
“MnDOT’s 800 snowplows keep Minnesota’s roads clear, drivers safe and traffic moving, despite the snow and cold,” said MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, in a news release. “Name a Snowplow is a fun way to highlight the work of these plows and their operators, and to celebrate one of the ways Minnesotans get through winter together. We hope Minnesotans take time to notice all of our plows — named or not — so all of our operators can safely do their work.”
MnDOT staff select their finalists based on factors such as frequency of submissions, Minnesota-specific ideas and names easily recognizable to most people.
For updates on the Name a Snowplow contest, follow MnDOT on Facebook (facebook.com/mndot), X (x.com/MnDOT) and Instagram (instagram.com/mndot). The department also updates its social media with winter weather alerts, safety messages, construction updates and more.
Real-time travel information on current road conditions, road closures, traffic cameras and more is available at 511mn.org or with the 511MN mobile phone app.
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