ST PAUL, Minn. — Minnesotans LOVE their big orange snowplows.
How else can you explain the more than 11,000 submissions posted for MnDOT's 2022 "Name a Snowplow" contest, ideas that started pouring in immediately after the new contest was announced in December?
All that seasonal creativity has now been whittled down to a list of 50, and voting is open.
MnDOT staffers decided which submissions made the cut. Among the names you can vote for are Betty Whiteout, Blizzard of Oz, Coldy Gopher, Cntrl Salt Delete, No more Mr. Ice Guy, Sir Plows-a-Lot and William Scrape-Speare. While most are brand new for '22, a few finalists from 2021 are back in the running.
Those grabbing a spot in the final 50 were selected based on a variety of factors, including creativity, uniqueness, frequency of submissions, Minnesota-specific themes and names that would be easily identifiable and understandable to state residents.
Voting will be open through Jan. 26. In early February, MnDOT will announce the eight winning names, and the regions of the state where the newly-named snowplows will be deployed – one in each MnDOT district.
Last year's winning eight were:
- Plowy McPlowFace – Metro District
- Ope, Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya – District 4
- Duck Duck Orange Truck – District 1
- Plow Bunyan – District 2
- Snowbi Wan Kenobi – District 6
- F. Salt Fitzgerald – District 7
- Darth Blader – District 3
- The Truck Formerly Known As Plow – District 8
For contest updates, winter weather alerts and other safety messages, follow MnDOT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also log onto the agency website.
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