Four years ago, the annual Name the Snowplow Contest was created by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) to engage people across the state in winter driving safety awareness and preparedness.
The SDDOT encourages travelers to use SD511 resources to make informed travel decisions during winter weather.
“Once again this year, we had a substantial winter storm impact motorists in South Dakota during the highly-traveled Christmas holiday,” said Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt.
“I want to publicly thank our SDDOT winter maintenance staff, as well as all of our public servants for their dedicated efforts to keep our roads clear and travelers safe during the long holiday weekend. And I want to personally thank all travelers who regularly use SD511 to guide their travel decisions.”
When the fourth annual snowplow naming contest ended on Nov. 30, 2023, over 650 entries had been submitted by individuals, families, classrooms, senior living centers, and businesses across the state. SDDOT staff then voted on the submissions.
2023-24 Named Snowplows:
Aberdeen Area: Snow Boss
Belle Fourche Area: Not my First Snowdeo
Custer Area: Snow-key the Bear
Huron Area: Saltosaurus Rex
Mitchell Area: Plow Bunyan
Mobridge Area: Snow Crusher
Pierre Area: Blade of Glory
Rapid City Area: Scoop! There it is!
Sioux Falls Area: South-Da-Snow-Ta
Watertown Area: Frostimus Prime
Winner Area: Clearapathera
Yankton Area: Salt, Rattle, & Roll
Additional information, including the names of those who provided the winning submission by area, is available on the SDDOT contest website athttps://dot.sd.gov/inside-sddot/of-interest/sddot-snowplow-naming-contest.
In January, the contest winners will officially meet and take photos with their locally named snowplow. Photos and local stories will also be shared on the SDDOT contest page.
About SDDOT:
The mission of the South Dakota Department of Transportation is to efficiently provide a safe and effective public transportation system.
For the latest on road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511. Travelers can sign up for customized notifications on https://sd511.org to receive text messages and/or email notifications for road closure updates and travel advisories along pre-selected travel routes.
Read more about the innovative work of the SDDOT at https://dot.sd.gov.