“Albert Icestein” and “Hans Snowlo” among Winners in SDDOT Fifth Annual Snowplow Naming Contest

"Albert Icestein" and "Hans Snowlo" among Winners in SDDOT Fifth Annual Snowplow Naming Contest

For Immediate Release: Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025

Contact: Julie Stevenson, Strategic Communications Coordinator, 605-773-2898

PIERRE, S.D. - The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) announces winners of the annual Snowplow Naming Contest. The contest was created as a fun way to engage people across the state in winter driving safety awareness and preparedness. The contest continues to provide an opportunity to encourage winter driving safety awareness for South Dakotans. This year, three of the winning entries were named by elementary classrooms in the communities of Custer, Pierre, and Winner.

"I want to thank our SDDOT winter maintenance staff for their dedicated efforts to keep our roads clear and travelers safe during winter weather," said Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt. "We strive to be the primary resource for South Dakota travelers throughout the year. I thank all travelers who regularly use SD511 to guide their travel decisions, whether during a winter storm or summer construction."

SDDOT staff voted on the submissions once the naming contest ended in December. All previously named snowplows are in active use within the SDDOT fleet across the state.

Following are the 2024-2025 contest winning names for SDDOT's snowplows:

Aberdeen Area: Thaw Enforcement;
Belle Fourche Area: Salty;
Custer Area: Plowy;
Huron Area: Plowabunga;
Mitchell Area: Clear-a-Patha;
Mobridge Area: Polar Plow;
Pierre Area: Capital Drift;
Rapid City Area: Albert Icestein;
Sioux Falls Area: Frost and Flurrious;
Watertown Area: Hans Snowlo;
Winner Area: Thaw Patrol; and
Yankton Area: Catch My Drifts.

Additional information, including the names of those who provided the winning name submission by area, is available on the SDDOT contest website at SDDOT Snowplow Contest. Over the next couple of months, the contest winners will officially meet and take photos with their locally named snowplow. Photos and local stories will be shared on the SDDOT contest page as well as on social media.

About SDDOT:
The mission of the South Dakota Department of Transportation is to provide a safe and efficient 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.

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