Meet snowplows like Dolly Plowtown, Beyonsleigh, Saline Dion, and Taylor Drift. Keep an eye out for Clark W. Blizzwald, Han Snowlo, and Darth Blader.

Forget your book – F. Salt Fitzgerald might be making rounds on your street this winter.

As snow covers a large part of the United States, snowplows and salt trucks with humorous names are preparing to clean up the winter mess from Massachusetts to Nebraska and from Arlington, Virginia, to Wichita, Kansas.

This trend can be described as a light-hearted winter phenomenon taking hold across the nation.

In recent years, various cities and states have started hosting naming competitions for snowplows and other winter vehicles. The aim is to introduce some fun into challenging storm situations, promote safe driving, and highlight the efforts of emergency response teams.

“We believed it would be a fun and engaging way to connect with residents and commuters in Connecticut—all while focusing on safety,” explained Josh Morgan from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. “It serves as a reminder to them to drive cautiously and avoid crashing into us.”

According to Morgan, Connecticut has held a naming contest for the last three years. In the previous year, the Department of Transportation collaborated with 40 local schools for the contest, aiming to teach young kids how to safely maneuver around snowplows.

Winning names from last year’s contest included playful entries like SnowBob Plowpants, Up2 Snow Good, and Fast & Flurryous. This year, the anticipated winning names will be announced by January 24.

A New Custom

The trend of naming snowplows isn’t exclusive to the United States; it has roots in Scotland. The concept reportedly started in Scotland back in 2006 when a naming contest for “gritters”—what they call plows—was held among school children.

However, Ryan Gilbert, representing the national transportation agency, Transport Scotland, noted that Scotland’s official national contest didn’t commence until 2016. This initiative aimed to promote Scotland’s “Gritter Tracker,” a tool for residents to track snowplow activities and see which roads have been treated.

Today, Scotland’s entire fleet of 240 Gritters is affectionately named by locals through contests on radio, in newspapers, and with schools. The names encompass everything from pop culture references to clever snow-themed puns.

Creativity is vast, but the agency imposed some limits. Names must be fewer than 25 characters or consist of no more than four words. Inappropriate submissions or those containing profanity are rejected.

Examples from this year’s fleet feature names like Mr. Snow-it-all, Salt Shaker, Carrie Bradthaw, Sled Zeppelin, Icetalavista Baby, and Brine Freeze, among many others.

Various municipalities across the U.S. have implemented similar snowplow tracking systems. For instance, Arlington County in Virginia started a naming contest this year to promote its snow and ice monitoring map.

“We aimed to create a fun method for the public to stay informed, while also recognizing the dedication of the crews who are out there,” explained Kiara Candelaria Nieves, a communications specialist for the environmental services department, referring to the emergency response teams and private contractors operating the plows.

Creative Naming Winners

If you reside in a snowy state, chances are the snowplows clearing your roads have amusing nicknames too.

Alaska, Nevada, Minnesota, Vermont, Delaware, Massachusetts, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Ohio have all begun similar naming competitions.

Here are some beloved winning names from various states:

• Plowy McPlowface

• CTRL-SALT-DEL

• You’re Killin’ Me Squalls

• Yer a Blizzard, Harry

• Fast and Flurrious

• The Big LePlowski

• Scoop! There it is

• Ope, Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya

• Melton John

• Sleetwood Mac