Voting now open in annual Minnesota snowplow-naming contest: 'Oh, for Sleet's Sake'

In keeping with an amusing and somewhat odd tradition, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is set to announce another slate of names for its snowplows. 

The Minnesota Department of Transportation received over 8,000 submissions for snowplow names this year – and narrowed it down to 50, the agency said on its website. 

People can vote for up to eight names that will be bestowed upon eight snowplows, said the website.

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Voting ends on Jan. 28 — and the winners will be announced next week, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Transportation told Fox News Digital.  

In addition to pun-inspired names ("I Came, I Thaw, I Conquered" and "Oh, For Sleet's Sake"), many of the name finalists were influenced by current events or trends.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation operates 800 snowplows throughout the state of Minnesota, including the one above. Eight of those plows are set to receive new names next week. Winning names will be emblazoned on the side of the plow. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

These include the Taylor Swift-inspired "Taylor Drift," and "Flake It Off"; a winter twist on Barbie with "Barbie's Dream Plow"; and "Beyonsleigh" – a nod to the Houston-based pop icon. 

Some distinctly Minnesotan names were finalists, such as "L’Plow du Nord" (a play on the state's motto of "L'Étoile du Nord"), "Star of the North," "Flake Superior" and "Minnesnowta N’ice."

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has held a naming contest for its snowplows since the winter of 2020-2021, says its website. The contest was inspired by a similar one in Scotland, Minnesota Department of Transportation officials told the Associated Press.

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"We definitely know snow in Minnesota, and anyone who lives up here knows the challenges of those conditions and the challenges of trying to keep roads safe for folks to travel during the winter," Anne Meyer, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, told the Associated Press.

Parts of Minnesota receive more than 70 inches of snow each year.  (David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

The Minnesota Department of Transportation operates 800 snowplows to keep the Gopher State's roads as clear as possible during the winter months. 

Parts of Minnesota receive an average of more than 70 inches of snow each winter, said the website of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 

The named snowplows have their name written on the side of the vehicle, Meyer told the Associated Press. 

The naming contests are expected to continue for years to come — and there seem to be plenty of nameless snowplows in Minnesota. 

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"We’ve got 800 snowplows statewide for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, so we have a lot of snowplows to name," Meyer said to the Associated Press. 

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Meyer said while the contest was "a lot of fun" each year, there are additional benefits beyond the amusing names. 

"We can engage with more people who may not know about our agency, and we see this as an opportunity to improve safety for our snowplow drivers," Meyer told Fox News Digital in an email. 

Other states and cities have launched similar naming contests for their snowplows after Minnesota started the practice in 2020.  (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

"We hope the creative names help to personalize our snowplows, and as a result, encourage drivers to think more about the men and women who operate snowplows and to do their part to keep our crews safe: slow down, stay back and give snowplow plenty of room to work," she said. 

Last year, winning names in Minnesota included "Yer a Blizzard, Harry," "Scoop! There it is," "Blader Tot Hotdish," and "Han Snowlo."

The success and popularity of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's naming contest has prompted other states and localities to ask the public to help name their snow plows, said the Associated Press.

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New Mexico had its first naming contest this winter. 

More than 23,000 people voted for 12 names for its state's snowplows. 

Winning names included "Sleetwood Mac," "Mr. Snow it All," and "Billy the Skid" – inspired by the outlaw Billy the Kid, who was killed in New Mexico. 

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"There’s a natural infatuation with (snowplows)," Kristine Bustos-Mihelcic, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, told the Associated Press.

 "They’re big, huge trucks. They look great on the road, and they are such a visual statement to the core of DOT, which is helping people get to their destination safely," she said. 

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

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