‘Iceorilla’ and ‘Plowverine’ Join SDDOT Fleet as 2025-2026 Contest Winners Announced

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has officially unveiled the winners of its sixth annual Snowplow Naming Contest, adding 12 newly christened vehicles to its winter maintenance fleet.

This year’s winning names, selected from hundreds of submissions across the state, range from pop-culture puns like “Buzz Ice Clear” to local favorites like “Scraping By,” submitted by Mike Marshall of Bryant for the Watertown area.

“While we cannot predict the winter weather, all of us can control how we prepare and respond,” said Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt. “The snowplow naming contest helps us build awareness about SDDOT’s winter maintenance operations and the many resources available to the traveling public.”

The 2025-2026 winning names by region are:

·        Aberdeen Area: Iceorilla

·        Belle Fourche Area: Rhinestone Plowboy

·        Custer Area: Sleddy Roosevelt

·        Huron Area: Cutting Edge Express

·        Mitchell Area: Plowverine

·        Mobridge Area: Whiteout Warrior

·        Pierre Area: Buzz Ice Clear

·        Rapid City Area: Mount Slush NO More

·        Sioux Falls Area: Frost Force One

·        Winner Area: Scoopy Scoopy Doo

·        Watertown Area: Scraping By

·        Yankton Area: Stormin Norman

The contest, which ran from early November through mid-December, has become a winter staple in South Dakota, typically drawing around 700 entries from individuals, businesses, and classrooms. This year, elementary students across the state were particularly active, with classrooms in Aberdeen, Hill City, Armour, and McIntosh providing several of the winning monikers.

Beyond the fun of naming, the initiative serves as a platform for winter safety education. The SDDOT provides downloadable activity packets for families, including coloring sheets and word finds, to engage younger residents in learning about safe driving practices around heavy equipment.

The momentum from the naming contest will carry into the spring with the return of the Blizzard Bracket. Much like the NCAA “March Madness” tournament, the public will have the opportunity to vote in head-to-head matchups featuring previously named plows.

South Dakota looks to defend its regional title in the “Dakota Battle of the Blades,” a cross-border competition with North Dakota. In 2025, South Dakota’s “Thaw Patrol”—named by a first-grade class in Winner—took home the championship over North Dakota’s “Plower Ranger.”

All 72 named plows from the contest’s history remain in active service. Residents can track the location of these uniquely named vehicles throughout the winter by visiting the official SDDOT Snowplow Map online or through the SD511 mobile app.