PHOENIX – The votes have been tallied for the Arizona Department of Transportation’s third Name-A-Snowplow Contest and Arizonans have chosen six names. 

After counting more than 14,000 votes, the winning snowplow names are:

• CTRL + SALT + DELETE
• Blizzard of Oz
• Scoop Dog
• Darth Blader
• Plowasaurus Rex
• Sleetwood Mac

These winners beat out nine other finalists in the Name-A-Snowplow Contest, and the names have been placed on the six of ADOT’s snowplows at maintenance yards in Arizona’s high country. 

“Darth Blader” and “CTRL + SALT + DELETE” are stationed at a maintenance yard in Flagstaff, and “Blizzard of Oz” and “Sleetwood Mac” are located just west of them in Williams. “Scoop Dog” will respond to winter weather in Payson along State Route 87 and State Route 260, and “Plowasaurus Rex” will patrol highways near Globe. 

This contest helps bring awareness to the important work that ADOT snowplow operators do to make highway travel safer when winter storms hit Arizona.

ADOT has 200 snowplows and 400 operators who work around the clock to lay down deicer and clear highways of ice and snow when winter storms hit. For your safety and the safety of other drivers and snowplow operators, if you encounter snowplows on highways: 

• Never attempt to pass a snowplow. 
• Stay at least four car-lengths behind snowplows and equipment. 
• Slow down and give the plow extra room.

Find more winter driving safety tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

About 2,100 names were submitted in the first phase of the contest in January. Those entries were whittled down to 15 finalists that the public voted on.

Sixteen people entered variations of “CTRL + SALT + DELETE,” 11 people submitted “Sleetwood Mac,” and 11 people submitted the name “Blizzard of Oz.” The name “Scoop Dog” was submitted 46 times, “Darth Blader” was submitted five times, and “Plowasaurus Rex” was submitted four times. 

These six winners join our previous winners in the Name-A-Snowplow Contest: “Snowbi-Wan Kenobi,” “Fast and Flurryous,” “Scoopacabra,” “Alice Scooper,” “Snowguaro” and “Frost Responder.”

ADOT’s snowplows are used year-round. Outside of the winter season, the plow blade is removed and the trucks are put to work on highway projects and in response to unplanned events

PHOENIX – Back for a third year, the Arizona Department of Transportation is again asking the public to name its snowplows.

ADOT’s Name-A-Snowplow Contest gives Arizonans the opportunity to submit creative names for six snowplows across the state at azdot.gov/NameAPlow.

ADOT’s snowplow operators play a vital role in clearing snow and ice off Arizona’s highways when winter storms hit places such as Flagstaff, along the Mogollon Rim and southeast Arizona. Last winter, ADOT snowplows logged about 1 million miles. 

“Our snowplow operators help keep Arizonans safe on the highways when winter storms hit,” ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said. “This contest is an engaging way to remind the traveling public how to safely drive around snowplows, highlight the work our snowplow operators put in each winter and give a few creative Arizonans bragging rights.” 

Here’s how the contest works:

• Dream up as many creative snowplow names as you can and submit them to azdot.gov/NameAPlow by Feb. 3. There’s no limit on how many times you can enter. You can include your email address in the form so we can contact you if your snowplow name ends up winning. 
• ADOT will review every submission and select 12-15 finalists. The public will then vote for their favorite names.
• The six names that receive the most votes will be placed with a decal on the snowplow.

Last year, “Snowbi-Wan Kenobi,” “Fast and Flurryous” and “Scoopacabra” were the contest winners. Arizonans sent in about 3,400 snowplow names and cast 9,500 overall votes to determine the winners.

Remember, if you encounter “Snowbi-Wan Kenobi” or any other snowplows in the wild: 

• Never attempt to pass a snowplow. 
• Stay at least four car-lengths behind snowplows and equipment.
• Slow down and give the plow extra room. 

Find more winter driving safety tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

PHOENIX – When winter storms roll through Arizona, driving can be more difficult because of reduced visibility and slicker roads. Because of this, the Arizona Department of Transportation often encourages motorists to delay travel plans. But one group of people – ADOT’s snowplow operators – don’t have the option to stay off highways. In fact, they’re sent into the teeth of storms, tasked with clearing highways as quickly and safely as possible.

That’s why, as part of ADOT’s preparations for the winter season, snowplow operators have been training on snowplow simulators since September. 

ADOT has more than 400 trained snowplow operators to operate 200 snowplows that work around the clock when snowstorms hit. Last winter, operators covered about 1 million miles in snowplows across the state. 

ADOT’s snowplow simulators, located in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Holbrook, can be programmed with hundreds of scenarios that imitate what operators encounter along their routes on Arizona highways. A simulation may have an operator plowing roads that mimic interstates, like I-40 and I-17 in Flagstaff, or two-lane highways in urban and rural environments, among other variables. 

It’s a convenient and effective way for the operators to get a feel for how snowplows run without the risk of damaging equipment and to get practice in before snow falls.

“These simulators react in real-time, allowing our operators to learn how the equipment responds under different conditions,” Mario Ortega, ADOT training delivery manager, said. “They’re an important tool to help us prepare for winter storms and that leads to safer highways during the winter.” 

Instructors can alter the conditions of the simulation, changing from daytime or nighttime, adding iciness to the roads or affecting the visibility by simulating rain or snow. Some scenarios are designed to train operators to constantly scan their surroundings and might include an animal darting into the roadway or a car cutting off a snowplow.

“In these sorts of situations, it forces the operator to ask themselves ‘What would I do and how would I react?’ The simulators help train our employees and prepare them so they can operate the machinery more safely — and ultimately help keep the traveling public safer,” Ortega said.

Every year, ADOT snowplow operators are required to run through a refresher course on the simulator and complete a series of “winter readiness” classes that cover safety protocols, the different parts of the snowplow, plowing techniques and more. All operators have a commercial driver license.

Drivers of passenger cars can also do their part to keep everyone safer if they choose to travel during a snowstorm by:

• Always staying at least four car-lengths behind a snowplow.
• Never attempting to pass a snowplow, to prevent crashing into the massive vehicle.

ADOT reminds travelers to prepare for winter conditions. The safest thing to do if a snowstorm is coming is to delay travel until it passes. For those that choose to travel in winter storms, ensure that your vehicle is in good working order with tires equipped to handle winter weather and pack an emergency travel kit.

Get more information and tips for driving in winter weather at azdot.gov/KnowSnow. 

For the latest highway conditions, visit ADOT’s 511 Travel Information site or download the AZ511 app (free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store) to check highway information before leaving. Ensure that your vehicle is in good working order with tires equipped to handle snow and pack an emergency travel kit. 

PHOENIX – While much of Arizona is experiencing 100-degree heat daily, the Arizona Department of Transportation is already preparing for winter.

ADOT acquired five new snowplows and held a training in Flagstaff in August to review the mechanics and technology of the equipment and provide instruction to staff on how to troubleshoot issues technicians and snowplow operators may encounter. 

About 20 ADOT staff — snowplow operators, equipment services technicians and others — from across Arizona attended the training that included classroom instruction and hands-on demonstration with a snowplow.

The five new snowplows will take up residence at maintenance yards across the state — one snowplow each at Flagstaff, Fredonia and Show Low and two snowplows in Prescott Valley — where they will replace snowplows that have been taken out of service due to high miles or mechanical issues. 

ADOT has 200 snowplows and 400 snowplow operators who work around the clock when snowstorms roll through the state. If you encounter a snowplow on a highway, give the plow space to do its work. Stay at least four car-lengths behind the plow and never attempt to pass the plow. Let the snowplow operators clear the road ahead for you and make travel safer for everyone.

PHOENIX – The results are in for the Arizona Department of Transportation’s second Name-A-Snowplow Contest and Arizonans have chosen some humorous and creative names. 

After tabulating more than 9,500 votes, the winning snowplow names are:

• “Snowbi-Wan Kenobi”
• “Fast and Flurryous”
• “Scoopacabra”

These winners beat out seven other finalists in the Name-A-Snowplow Contest, and the names have been placed on the driver’s side of three of ADOT’s snowplows. These three snowplows are stationed at an ADOT maintenance yard in Mesa and have been out clearing ice and snow along State Route 87 between Mesa and Payson this winter season. During other seasons, the plow blade is removed and the trucks are used in a variety of ways.

Arizonans in mid-January submitted around 3,400 names in the first phase of the Name-A-Snowplow Contest. Eleven people submitted variations of the name “Snowbi-Wan Kenobi,” 11 people submitted “Fast and Flurryous” and two people submitted “Scoopacabra.” 

“Snowbi-Wan Kenobi,” “Fast and Flurryous,” and “Scoopacabra” join last season’s winners “Alice Scooper,” “Snowguaro” and “Frost Responder.”

ADOT has 200 snowplows and 400 operators who work around the clock to lay down deicer and clear highways of ice and snow when winter storms hit. ADOT’s snowplow operators have been out for each winter storm this season, helping keep the traveling public safe. Drivers who choose to travel in winter storm conditions should be prepared to spend an extended amount of time in their vehicles. Check az511.gov or download the AZ511 app (free on Apple and Android) for real-time highway conditions.

And remember, if you encounter snowplows on highways:

• Never attempt to pass a snowplow.
• Stay at least four car-lengths behind snowplows and equipment. Plowed snow can create a cloud that reduces visibility.
• Slow down and give the plow extra room.

Find more winter driving safety tips at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

PHOENIX – Arizona Department of Transportation snowplow drivers have logged well over a million miles to clear state highways amid this winter season’s record-setting storms. 

The 1.2 million miles covered by ADOT’s fleet of some 200 snowplows is nearly twice as many as they drove during the 2021-22 winter season. ADOT’s trained snowplow operators have logged more than 66,000 hours – more than double the previous season’s total – working through the challenge of removing snow and ice as safely and as quickly as possible from highways impacted by winter storms.

“Our snowplow operators are heroes of the highways every winter, but it’s especially true over the past several months,” said ADOT Director Jennifer Toth. “I hope drivers truly appreciate the long hours they put in, along with first responders from other agencies, when record-setting winter storms strike.”

When storms are forecast in the high country, ADOT has the ability to send snowplow operators from other parts of the state, including metro Phoenix and Tucson, to areas where manpower and experience are needed.

“Many people, especially those who don’t travel into the higher elevations, don’t realize all the work that goes into battling back from the punch Mother Nature delivers during winter storms,” said Kevin Duby, ADOT’s statewide road weather manager. “It’s remarkable to see how our snowplow operators, often working 12-hour shifts, keep at it until the job is done.”

Duby also pointed to another group of unsung heroes at ADOT: the mechanics who work year-round to keep snowplows and other ADOT work vehicles on the road. As the state’s weather warms up, plow blades and other equipment will be removed from many snowplows so they can be used asdump trucks during summer and fall.

Drivers can check on highway conditions all year via ADOT’s 511 Travel Information site or by calling 511. ADOT also provides highway information and answers via Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and the agency’s Facebook page (facebook.com/AZDOT).