About darn time: Blizzo wins big in MnDOT's 'Name a Snowplow' contest
Blizzo, Clearopathtra, Han Snowlo and five other newly named plows will soon be clearing snow from highways across Minnesota.
A storm of winter puns swept across the state Wednesday as the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced the winners of its third annual “Name a Snowplow” contest.
This winter’s winning names, in order of votes received:
Yer a Blizzard, Harry – District 8 (Southwest Minnesota)
Blizzo – Metro District (Twin Cities)
Clearopathtra – District 1 (Northeast Minnesota)
Better Call Salt – District 3 (Central Minnesota)
Han Snowlo – District 7 (Southcentral Minnesota)
Blader Tot Hotdish – District 2 (Northwest Minnesota)
Scoop! There it is – District 6 (Southeast Minnesota)
Sleetwood Mac – District 4 (West-central Minnesota)
The names will be added to one plow in each of the districts listed above. More than 64,000 people cast ballots in this winter’s contest.
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MnDOT said it received more than 10,400 name ideas in December, which were narrowed to 60 finalists that went up for the online vote.
The agency also said that in addition to the now-24 winners of the annual contest, staff in northeast Minnesota’s District 1 added another named plow to their fleet in 2022.
“Giiwedin, the Ojibwe word for the North Wind, is stationed at MnDOT’s Duluth Truck Station and covers Highway 33 near the Fond du Lac Reservation,” the agency reported.
Past MnDOT “Name a Snowplow” contest winners
Winter 2020-21
Plowy McPlowFace
Ope, Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya
Duck Duck Orange Truck
Plow Bunyan
Snowbi Wan Kenobi
F. Salt Fitzgerald
Darth Blader
The Truck Formerly Known As Plow
Winter 2021-22
Betty Whiteout
Ctrl Salt Delete
The Big Leplowski
Plowasaurus Rex
Scoop Dogg
Blizzard of Oz
No More Mr. Ice Guy
Edward Blizzardhands
Vote totals for 2022-23 contest
(64,075 voters cast ballots; voters could choose up to eight names)
1. Yer a Blizzard, Harry — 15,248 votes
2. Blizzo — 14,935
3. Clearopathtra — 12,729
4. Better Call Salt — 12,112
5. Han Snowlo — 11,361
6. Blader Tot Hotdish — 10,901
7. Scoop! There it is — 10,728
8. Sleetwood Mac — 10,397
9. Taylor Drift — 9,921
10. Sir Plows-a-Lot — 9,741
11. Goonodaabaan (Ojibwe word for “snow vehicle”) — 9,564
12. Aaron Brrrr, Sir — 9,434
13. Ain’t My First Snowdeo — 9,389
14. Snow Force One — 9,037
15. Hippoplowtamus — 8,823
16. Plowabunga! — 8,381
17. Just Scraping By — 8,347
18. SKOL Plow — 8,284
19. Harmon Chillebrew — 8,156
20. Camp Scoopy — 7,966
21. Alice Scooper — 7,790
22. Clark Blizzwald — 7,504
23. Beyonsleigh — 7,428
24. Buzz Iceclear — 7,413
25. Freeze Louise — 7,391
26. Melton John — 7,171
27. Ičamna (Dakota word for “blizzard”) — 7,134
28. Waipahiƞte (Dakota word for “snow plow”) — 7,082
29. I Came, I Thaw, I Conquered — 6,609
30. Miracle on Ice — 6,227
31. Best in Snow — 6,173
32. Spirit of ‘91 — 6,134
33. Say it Ain’t Snow — 6,068
34. Optimus Brine — 5,776
35. Mary Tyler More Snow — 5,685
36. Ace of Blades — 5,392
37. The Name’s Plow, Snowplow — 5,311
38. Plow Patrol — 5,297
39. Here we Snow Again — 5,281
40. Mighty Morphin Plower Ranger — 5,244
41. Plower to the People — 5,058
42. Bohemian Rhapsnowdy — 4,959
43. One Plow Two Plow Red Plow Blue Plow — 4,815
44. Orange You Glad to See Me — 4,739
45. Ted Las-snow — 4,594
46. Blades of Flurry — 4,488
47. Bobsled Dylan — 4,439
48. Bladezilla — 4,291
49. Wolfgang Amadeus Snowzart — 4,210
50. Lollaplowlooza — 3,361
51. Queen El-ice-abeth II — 3,099
52. Point of Snow Return — 3,080
53. Paisley Plow — 3,054
54. L’etoile du Nordy — 3,009
55. Plowie Anderson — 2,652
56. Kim KarDashing Thru the Snow — 2,230
57. For Cold Times’ Sake — 2,025
58. Snow and Tell — 1,429
59. It's a Squall World After All — 1,215
60. As the Snow Flies — 1,131