By Tiffany Williams –
Worcester just turned winter into a bragging contest — and the kids ran the table.
The city’s Department of Public Works teamed up with Worcester Public Schools and handed the naming rights of four snowplow trucks to students. The result? Four rolling personalities ready to bully winter off the roads in every corner of the city.
Students from kindergarten through 12th grade submitted 30 names. The public piled on with more than 1,900 ballots. Democracy did its thing. Snow lost.
The winners sound less like municipal equipment and more like action movie villains. 2hr Delay Destroyer came out of a Grade 2 class at Thorndyke Road School, a direct shot at every snow day rumor ever whispered. Snowraider, also from Thorndyke, feels like it should come with its own soundtrack. Clearopathra, created by North High School’s Life Skills C class, brought wordplay and confidence. Ice-Zilla, from Quinsigamond Elementary, made it clear subtlety was never an option.
City Manager Eric D. Batista leaned into the moment without dialing it back. “Congratulations to our Worcester Public School students on another great Name-A-Snowplow contest,” Batista said. “Your imaginative and fun names were a treat to review and vote on. Four more of our snowplow trucks are now named and ready to handle anything this winter brings all the while showcasing our students’ creativity.”
Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Brian E. Allen made it clear this is becoming a tradition, not a novelty. “Our students brought so much creativity and enthusiasm to the second year of the Name-A-Snowplow contest,” Allen said. “It’s become a fun and lighthearted way to add some joy to winter weather while giving students a chance to see their ideas come to life across the city. Thank you to everyone who took part.”
The payoff is real. The winning classrooms will be honored at the Jan. 13, 2026, City Council meeting, pose for photos with their freshly named plows, and walk away with DPW swag. More importantly, their names will be scraping ice, clearing lanes and embarrassing snowstorms all winter long.
Worcester didn’t just name snowplows. It gave winter four new enemies — and they’re coming fast.