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Winter has officially begun here in Chicago. We were spoiled with temperatures in the mid-40s until just a week ago, when a very-real three-ish inches of snow fell from the sky. Traffic jams aplenty, no parking on certain streets, and a sanctioned snowball fight in Wicker Park were all telltale signs that we should get used to the cold. But now, instead of merely hoping that our streets would(n't? Who doesn't love a snow day?) get plowed, we can actually follow up on what the Chicago snow plows are up to.

Look familiar?

The city rolled out its Plow Tracker application, activated only during snow storms, which updates residents in real time as far as how the street clearing is going. Obviously, the city starts with major streets and then moves to the side streets, but the application as a whole is helpful especially if you're trying to time moving your car from a snow-route street to one that is considerably farther from your front door.

To keep up with the plow tracker, you can click to its website, but be reminded, you won't see anything unless it's actually snowing out (makes sense, doesn't it?).

Unsurprisingly, Chicago isn't the first city to roll out a plow tracker. Cities like Holmes, Ohio,  Annapolis, Maryland, and New York City already have these programs. Given last year's blizzard-like conditions in February, it seems like a predictable move on Chicago's part.

[Source: City of Chicago]