Essay: Plowabunga! My Salute to Snowplow Drivers

SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA—Already it’s March. Meteorological spring has officially arrived, ushered in by several late-February days of above normal temperatures, disappearing remnants of snow and ice-free roads (at least as of this writing, just ahead of the March 5th winter storm that dropped another few inches!).

Astronomical spring – March 20th – isn’t far off, accompanied by the full entourage of migratory birds and waterfowl in the weeks ahead. And then summer – but that’s getting ahead of myself.

It was, remember, only a couple weeks ago that we had a stretch of below-normal, subzero low—and high—temperatures right after much of the Root River Valley received one of this year’s few accumulating snowfalls…and tricky winter driving. 

But driving would be even trickier if it wasn’t for the corps of dedicated snowplow drivers who faithfully, if not sometimes eagerly, take on the snow and ice like many of us take to mowing (let’s face it—there’s something about conquering an overgrown lawn that’s both ambitious and rewarding, right?).

Valley travels

I regularly travel Minnesota Highway 16 (MN16) between Lanesboro and Rushford, a highway recognized as one leg of the Historic Bluff Country National Scenic Byway for good reason; tucked away safely within the valley, mirroring the course of the postcard-perfect Root River on the north and hugging lushly forested bluffs to the south, it’s surely one of the Upper Midwest’s most scenic drives year-round.

Even on days with abundant sunshine, compacted snow and ice recede oh-so slowly from shaded parts of MN16. (Photo by John Gaddo)

But being ‘tucked away safely within the valley’ also has its pitfalls — like the stretches of ice and snow-packed roads shrouded in the shadows of the surrounding bluffs, hidden from the low-angled rays of sunshine. Even on the sunniest of winter days, when ice and snow is being visibly steamed off the highway by the sun’s intensity, these stretches of glazed ice are seemingly waiting in the wings to surprise us.

This is not a criticism of the gallant efforts put forth by our snowplow drivers — in fact, it’s really a tip-of-the-hat gesture of gratitude for the persistence they’ve shown to keep most areas in what the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) would say are ‘normal winter driving’ conditions — more than just ‘passable’, usually dry and free of snow — speed-limit drivable. 

On call 24/7; I’m in awe

Admittedly, I benefit from living in a household that doesn’t require anyone being on the roads at any particular time, so we can usually wait out the snow and the plows’ work. But that’s not always been the case.

I recall that time in my career when I was on the road before five o’clock most mornings, driving some 25+ miles of rural southeast Minnesota roads to get to work. In winter, this occasionally meant I was on the road before the plows would get to my route — on other occasions I seemed to be right on their tail which was usually a blessing, though visibility could be challenging when they’re plowing through two-foot drifts making for blinding conditions.

A snowplow driver’s view of an icy MN16 this early February morning. (MnDOT photo)

Yes, indeed — snowplow drivers are on call 24/7, charged with keeping things as safe and passable as possible. I recognize they work long days, late nights, and early mornings. And I can’t help but empathize, wondering “just how bad is it, anyway?”

That’s when I check out MnDOT’s 511 website or traveler information app. While I benefit from MnDOT’s regular road reports, what I truly appreciate is getting a visual of what’s going on around the area given its network of roadside and plow-mounted cameras. 

While these cameras provide a real-time view of what the snow is doing, they also provide a glimpse into the world of what plow drivers are facing. From clear roads to near whiteouts. 

And from the camera’s perspective, we get a ‘birds-eye’ view of the challenges drivers face. It’s not always pretty — yet another reason I’m impressed by what they tackle.

Minnesota’s 2025 Name a Snowplow winners. All 50 finalists can be viewed on MnDOT’s Name a Snowplow website. (MnDot graphic)

Minnesotans unite in their appreciation

It’s no surprise Minnesotans enthusiastically chime in to name snowplows each year. You may have seen the results of this year’s Name a Snowplow Contest announced in mid-February.

“We’re Off To See The Blizzard” and “Anthony Sledwards” were added to MnDOT’s snowplow fleet as the top two of eight winners selected by the nearly 23,500 voters who cast ballots in the 2025 contest. 

The winning names, in order of vote totals, and their future homes (note southeast Minnesota’s third-place showing) are: 

• We’re Off To See The Blizzard – District 8 (Southwest Minnesota)
• Snowtorious B.I.G. – District 4 (West Central Minnesota)
• Plowabunga! – District 6 (Southeast Minnesota)
• Anthony Sledwards – Metro District (Twin Cities)
• You’re Welcome – District 2 (Northwest Minnesota)
• Don’tcha Snow – District 3 (Central Minnesota)
• Skol Plow – District 1 (Northeast Minnesota)
• I Came, I Thaw, I Conquered – District 7 (South Central Minnesota)

As fun as the contest is, I resonate most with comments from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. 

In announcing the winning plow names, Walz said, “And let’s remember it’s not just the plows, but the 1,600 Minnesota snowplow drivers who keep us safe and our roads cleared all winter long. A big thank you to those drivers!”

And the people say, “Amen.”