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The 2022 Ohio Turnpike Name-A-Snowplow Contest announces its winners

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

From the brilliant minds behind Plowy McPlowFace and Sir Plows-A-Lot, it's the 2022 Ohio Turnpike Name-A-Snowplow Contest.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

This year, the second annual naming contest drew more than 5,000 submissions. Ohio Turnpike officials picked out the top 50 names and put them to a public vote. And now we have the winners.

SHAPIRO: Last year, there was Snow Force One. This year, Ohio Thaw Enforcement will be patrolling the turnpike.

SUMMERS: Last year was "Star Wars" heavy. This year, names like Darth Blader gave way to '90s movie references like You're Killin' Me Squalls and The Big LePlowski.

SHAPIRO: If you don't know, we'll let you discover for yourself what movies Plow Chicka Plow Wow refers to. We don't recommend you watch them at work.

SUMMERS: Ferzan Ahmed, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike, has his favorites.

FERZAN AHMED: Blizzard Wizard, The Blizzard of Oz. Clearopathtra is a good one.

SHAPIRO: Yeah. Clearopathtra is clever, so is Ctrl-Salt-Delete. Ahmed says there is a serious reason for giving snow plows funny names.

AHMED: If people see that snow plow as more than just another vehicle on the road because we are creating these naming contests and perhaps they become a little bit more aware of it, then they will make an effort to stay behind that snow plow, not crowd the plow, and that would just improve safety for everybody on the road.

SUMMERS: So if you are on the Ohio Turnpike and you see The Big LePlowski clearing the lanes, you can point and laugh all you like, but please, please, just do not try to pass it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Gabe O'Connor
Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.
Juana Summers is a political correspondent for NPR covering race, justice and politics. She has covered politics since 2010 for publications including Politico, CNN and The Associated Press. She got her start in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Mo., and also previously covered Congress for NPR.