The sun has just set for us, but Santa has been out delivering gifts all day. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been tracking his movements since 5 a.m. today.
Tracking Santa has been part of NORAD’s mission since 1955.
It all started when a department store ran an ad with a phone number for kids to call and speak to Santa, but they listed the wrong number. NORAD officials spent the night answering calls and chatting with excited kids looking forward to Christmas.
Watch: Follow Santa Claus' journey around the world live
We wanted to know how NORAD keeps an eye on Santa, so Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Kristen Kirchhaine called NORAD to find out.
“The NORAD mission, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, is to monitor our airspace and territorial waters to defend North America,” explained Air Force Major General Mark Piper. “NORAD is a bi-national command, comprised of Canadians and Americans, and we do this year-round.”
Despite working around the clock every day, December 24 is a special day for them.
“[It’s] simply our most special day because we have an extra special aviator traveling the globe, bringing presents and joy to children around the world,” Piper said. “Today is really a continuation of what we do every day. On a normal day, we use a combination of satellites in space, ground-based radars, and NORAD-assigned aircraft to defend North America.”
Watch: How NORAD tracks Santa’s journey every year
Every year, on December 24, NORAD brings in additional volunteers and sets up its operations center for the thousands of calls to their hotline. Last year, they received about 400,000 calls and expect a similar volume this year.
And get this: tracking Santa and tracking weather share some similarities.
“In many ways, it is [similar]. We can use our radars to provide radar reflections off his metal sleigh, which is one way we can track him,” Piper said. “Another way is using our infrared satellites to track heat signatures—Rudolph’s nose is a very large and distinct source of heat. That’s another way we can track him. Then, our fighter aircraft can fly up and be Santa’s wingman for a little bit, and we can follow him visually as well.”
However, weather never seems to get in the way of Santa.
“I think the combination of Santa being a master aviator and a master logistician, weather doesn’t seem to be a problem for him,” Piper said. “We have a lot we can learn from him, I suppose.”
You can follow Santa’s journey live by clicking here. You can also call 1-877 HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to talk directly to NORAD staff members who will provide updates on Santa’s exact location.
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