Minnesota’s Snowplow Naming Contest Shines Spotlight on Creativity

(KNSI) – Eight Minnesota Department of Transportation snowplows are nameless no more.

Governor Tim Walz helped announce the winners of the third annual Name a Snowplow Contest on Tuesday afternoon, saying other states are envious of us. “It has tried to be copied by other states but never replicated. Minnesotans vote in huge numbers for these. Thousands and thousands of Minnesotans come up with incredible creativity.”

Central Minnesota’s newest plow will be called Clark W. Blizzwald. It will be based out of the District 3 office and housed in St. Cloud.

For the first time, a Native American name made the cut. Waipahinte, pronounced Why-ep-e-hint-a, is snowplow in the Dakota language and will be clearing the highways for District 8 in Southwest Minnesota. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan is a member of the Ojibwe tribe and says it’s about time a native name makes a list. “Every year there have been indigenous names that have been proposed. I’m excited that this year, it got the votes. And it’s the first time. So I think that it’s really powerful.”

The other winners were:
Taylor Drift-District 2-Northwest Minnesota
Dolly Plowton-District 1-Northeast Minnesota
Beyonsleigh-District 4-West Central Minnesota
You’re Killin’ Me Squalls-District 6-Southeast Minnesota
Fast and Flurrious-District 7-South Central Minnesota
Barbie’s Dream Plow-Metro District-Twin Cities

The state started taking suggestions in early December and whittled down more than 8,000 submissions to 50. Minnesota then had a week to vote for their favorites.

More than 32,500 people voted in the contest.

Better than 1,600 drivers operate 800 plows in 12-hour shifts to clear Minnesota’s interstates and highways each time it snows.

Get the complete breakdown of names and votes by clicking here.

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