 The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) invites the public to get creative (and a little silly) this holiday season and help name a snowplow. PBOT crews have been preparing for the possibility of winter weather since October and we need your help! This year, we’re asking the public to help name five of the 56 snowplows that PBOT owns and operates.

Submit your ideas using our form. You’ll be prompted to provide your name, contact information, and your suggestion for a snowplow name. Have more than one idea? Feel free to submit multiple forms!

When you submit, you agree to the City of Portland using your entry in a public and official capacity.

Contest guidelines and timelines

Give us your most creative, punniest, and wintry ideas! We will not accept names with inappropriate language, swear words, or slurs. Find more guidelines for the contest on our website.

After submitting your snowplow name(s), come back in a few weeks to vote on the top 20. The top five snowplow names will be chosen as winners and announced in February

Dec. 23 – Jan. 5: The public submits snowplow name ideas with this form (form closes at 5 p.m. Jan. 5).
Week of Jan. 6: PBOT staff select the top 20.
Week of Jan. 13: Portlanders vote on their favorites
Week of Feb. 3: Top five snowplow names are announced.

Good luck and may the best five win!

What else can you do to prepare for winter weather this season?

PBOT is the lead agency for the city's winter weather response. Now’s the time to prepare for severe weather. View preparedness tips and resources at Portland.gov/winter

Tips include:

Create an emergency plan for winter weather with friends, family, and coworkers
Put together an emergency bag for your vehicle stocked with items like water, food, traction for your tires and feet, and a flashlight
Prepare an emergency kit for your home and business
Stock up on supplies like ice melt and a snow shovel sooner rather than later
Stay informed with severe weather information by signing up for PBOT alerts via text or email. Follow @PBOTInfo on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Nextdoor.
Visit PBOT’s Guide to the Winter Weather Center to learn how to track the latest weather, traffic, road closure, and snowplow information.
Get to know your nearby transit stops. Plan your route at TriMet.org or call 503-238-7433 for bus and MAX. Portland Streetcar schedules and information here. For service to OHSU's Marquam Hill campus, check Portland Aerial Tram for information on capacity and hours during severe weather.

Source: PBOT

Scott Tom