Oklahoma City wants residents to name its 34 snowplows before winter weather arrives.
The city launched its annual snowplow training Tuesday, Oct. 6, and opened a public contest asking for OKC-themed names for every plow in the fleet, according to a city press release. Submissions are due by Friday, Oct. 16, at vision.okc.gov/snowplows.
Residents have already started pitching ideas. Entries posted on the city's portal include "Snowklahoma City," "Chillips 66," "Scissortail Snowcatcher," "Will Plowgers," "Yukon Chillers" and "The Midtown Meltdown."
The city said name ideas can draw on OKC landmarks, the Thunder and local sports, Route 66, the food scene, arts and culture, or neighborhoods. Winners will be announced Wednesday, Oct. 21, on the city's social media accounts and the submission page.
The contest comes as nearly 100 city workers began hands-on snowplow training to prepare for the season ahead. The crews are responsible for clearing 1,800 lane miles using more than 1,500 tons of salt, KFOR first reported Wednesday.
Mike Love Jr., Oklahoma City Public Works emergency operations manager, told KFOR the training refreshes both new hires and veterans on snow and ice procedures. Bobby Osborne, an equipment operator in his second year driving a city plow, described the motivation behind the work.
"I always say that on this road, I don't know who's driving in that car, but somebody loves them, and they want to return home," Osborne told KFOR. "My job is to do the best I can do to make that happen."
Love also urged drivers to stay behind plows during storms rather than trying to pass them.
When winter weather hits, the city plans to publish an online map showing where plows have operated and sharing driving tips. Residents can also view snowplow activity at oksnowplows.org during storm events, according to KFOR.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation ran a separate statewide student contest in 2025 that produced winners like "Scoop Dog," "Plow Chicka Plow Plow" and "Darth Blader," according to ODOT. The city's contest is open to all residents, not just students.
Upcoming dates:
- Friday, Oct. 16 — Deadline to submit snowplow name ideas at vision.okc.gov/snowplows
- Wednesday, Oct. 21 — Winning names announced on city social media and vision.okc.gov/snowplows
