Out of 4,500 entries, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) selected “Blizzard Wizard” as one of 16 winners for this year’s Name-a-Snowplow Contest. The name was the entry of Broken Bow 6th Grader Alex Longfellow.
Alex is the son of Maureen and Todd Longfellow. He said he picked the name after a Google search of “good snowplow names”, choosing Blizzard Wizard over the alternative Whiteout.
In a presentation at the Broken Bow Middle School/High School Performing Arts Center, Longfellow and his 7th period reading class received plaques commemorating the naming of the plow, along with a miniature version of the truck and other items.
NDOT District 6 Engineer Cameron Craig said that one of the reasons for the Name-a-Snowplow contest was to bring awareness not just to winter weather safety, but the NDOT mission overall.
“We’re not just a truck,” Craig told the assembled middle-schoolers. “There’s a lot of science, math, and chemistry behind what we do, from the chemicals we use to keep the roads open and winter from the way we design it. There’s lots and lots of science and engineering in the background. So we want to highlight that at the same time do something fun to involve everybody because the DOT sometimes people think that’s just the DOT. Well, we’re in your community. We are your community.
The newly-christened Blizzard Wizard is based out of Broken Bow and driven by Scott Tucker. Tucker and Blizzard Wizard’s route follows Highway 2 north to Merna and west across Highway 92 to Arnold.
To help provide real-time conditions, Craig noted Blizzard Wizard can be tracked via the Nebraska 511 website.
According to Craig, “You can see one of our over 600 plows across the state. They’re not all named but all the named ones will have the name on it, so you’ll be able to see it and you can click on it. You can see where the plow is, you can see the road conditions, and you can track the plow.”
NDOT presenters took a number of questions from the crowd of students, including, how old is Blizzard Wizard (3 years, one of the newer trucks in the fleet), how much fuel do the trucks use (over 100 gallons per storm, depending on how bad it is), and how hard it is to drive a snowplow?
Tucker responded, “It’s difficult at times, especially when the weather gets very rough. You kind of have to go off with your bearings and knowing exactly where you’re at on the road.”
Those who would like a chance to see Blizzard Wizard in person will not have to wait until the next storm though. NDOT will bring the plow out, along with other equipment, for the Broken Bow Festival of Lights Parade on December 1.
