Chicago’s “name a snowplow” contest is back for its third year and open for 2025 submissions, the city announced Monday.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation is again asking Chicago residents to come up with unique, quirky names for city snowplows and submit them online to shovels.chicago.gov by Jan. 4 for consideration.
The contest will take place in two phases, as is now routine. The city will first gather submissions until the deadline and department staff will choose 50 finalists.
Residents will then vote starting Jan. 10 and pick the top six new names, which will represent a snowplow for each of the city’s six snow districts.
Submissions are limited to one per person and 50 characters in length, the city said.
This year’s winning names announced in January included “Skilling It” and “CTRL-SALT-DELETE.” A top name and fan favorite from the city’s first contest was Mrs. O’Leary’s Plow.
The naming contest encourages Chicagoans to get involved and think creatively, said Cole Stallard, the commissioner of the Department of Streets and Sanitation.
“The contest also helps shine a spotlight on the hard work that goes into clearing snow and ice during the cold-weather months each year,” Stallard said.
The department oversees more than 9,400 lane miles of roadway with a fleet of over 300 salt spreaders.
