Countdown begins: NORAD's Santa tracker is up and running for the big night
Anxious youngsters across the globe can follow Ol’ St. Nick’s sleigh route to see if he’s on track to deliver on Christmas Eve, continuing a decadeslong tradition that started completely by accident.
By
Marianne Mizera, AccuWeather front page editor
Published Dec 2, 2021 4:16 PM EST
|
Updated Dec 24, 2022 11:32 AM EST
Every Christmas since 1955, the agency in charge of air defense across North America tracks Santa Claus’ trip. But how? And why? The answers involve the infrared signature of Rudolph’s nose, fighter jets and more.
Children around the world are anxiously counting down the final days til Christmas, bursting with excitement as they anticipate what presents Santa Claus might have in store for them come Dec. 25. And as modern tradition holds, kids can turn to their handy official NORAD Santa tracker to guide them on his trek around the globe and frequent stops as Old St. Nick makes his way to their home.
The NORAD Tracks Santa website that launched Dec. 1 is available in eight languages and includes its “tracker countdown” clock ticking away the minutes and hours before the tracker goes "live" at 4 a.m. EST on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, when visitors to the site will begin seeing updates as Santa prepares for his annual flight. Then, beginning at 6 a.m. EST, children can start calling toll-free at 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to inquire about Ol' St. Nick’s whereabouts.
A large contingent of volunteer "Santa-trackers" at NORAD -- the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- mission control in Colorado Springs will be on hand to field the thousands of calls and messages that normally flood the operations center from anxious youngsters as soon as the tracker is live.
Last year, about 54,000 calls poured into the operations center from kids of all ages from around the globe, said Master Sgt. Benjamin Wiseman, although as the Santa tracker has expanded its reach into various digital platforms, so has interest - and anticipation. NORAD has generated millions of visitors to its website (over 14 million page views in 2021 alone) and its social media channels, with over 2.2 million followers combined on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, where parents can help their kids track Ol' St. Nick. (A social media team typically operates from a separate conference room at the NORAD base.)
A popular tracker alternative has been the use of Amazon's Alexa, with nearly 9 million youngsters last season asking Alexa “Where is Santa?”, Wiseman told AccuWeather. Yet another mode of tracking the jolly man in red is via OnStar, which partnered with NORAD in 2009 to offer a special service for kids.
Volunteers stationed at NORAD headquarters in Colorado are busy fielding calls from children on Christmas Eve 2021. (NORAD)
As Christmas draws closer, children can play games and holiday music at the Santa Tracker website, where a new arcade game is posted daily. Visitors can also check out the web store at Santa’s North Pole Village.
The NORAD Tracks Santa site is the modern-day twist on a beloved annual event that was first conceived in 1955 -- by accident. That was the year a Colorado Springs newspaper ad invited kids to call Santa on a hotline. Not checking it twice, the Sears Roebuck and Co. store that ran the ad printed the wrong number and dozens of kids wound up talking to the Continental Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor.
The Sears Roebuck and Co. ad that led to the annual NORAD Tracking Santa operation. (NORAD Public Affairs, Bob Jones)
The officers on duty, of course, played along and began sharing reports of Santa’s progress as Christmas Day neared. And so the tradition began at NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canada command that monitors North American skies and seas from a control center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
Today, about 1,500 volunteers help field the hundreds of phone calls received at the base on Christmas Eve from eager children calling to see if Santa and his sleigh have reached their rooftops. Besides U.S. military personnel, also volunteering are members of the Canadian military, and local civilians.
Some of the volunteers work Christmas Eve night in 2021 to field calls from children inquiring about Santa's whereabouts. (NORAD)
Although some of the questions don't stop at Santa's GPS coordinates. NORAD's Maj. Cameron Hillier said some of the other, more notable queries include:
"Can I get a fire truck for Christmas? A real one, not a toy one?"
"Does Santa have pets? Do they talk?"
"Will you call me back when Santa gets to my house?"
Beginning at 6 a.m. EST on Christmas Eve, children can start calling NORAD toll-free at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). And don't forget to check your friendly weather app to see how the conditions outside might affect Santa's delivery route.
GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
A NORAD worker helps with the special tracking technology at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. (NORAD)
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
News / Weather News
Countdown begins: NORAD's Santa tracker is up and running for the big night
Anxious youngsters across the globe can follow Ol’ St. Nick’s sleigh route to see if he’s on track to deliver on Christmas Eve, continuing a decadeslong tradition that started completely by accident.
By Marianne Mizera, AccuWeather front page editor
Published Dec 2, 2021 4:16 PM EST | Updated Dec 24, 2022 11:32 AM EST
Every Christmas since 1955, the agency in charge of air defense across North America tracks Santa Claus’ trip. But how? And why? The answers involve the infrared signature of Rudolph’s nose, fighter jets and more.
Children around the world are anxiously counting down the final days til Christmas, bursting with excitement as they anticipate what presents Santa Claus might have in store for them come Dec. 25. And as modern tradition holds, kids can turn to their handy official NORAD Santa tracker to guide them on his trek around the globe and frequent stops as Old St. Nick makes his way to their home.
The NORAD Tracks Santa website that launched Dec. 1 is available in eight languages and includes its “tracker countdown” clock ticking away the minutes and hours before the tracker goes "live" at 4 a.m. EST on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, when visitors to the site will begin seeing updates as Santa prepares for his annual flight. Then, beginning at 6 a.m. EST, children can start calling toll-free at 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to inquire about Ol' St. Nick’s whereabouts.
A large contingent of volunteer "Santa-trackers" at NORAD -- the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- mission control in Colorado Springs will be on hand to field the thousands of calls and messages that normally flood the operations center from anxious youngsters as soon as the tracker is live.
Last year, about 54,000 calls poured into the operations center from kids of all ages from around the globe, said Master Sgt. Benjamin Wiseman, although as the Santa tracker has expanded its reach into various digital platforms, so has interest - and anticipation. NORAD has generated millions of visitors to its website (over 14 million page views in 2021 alone) and its social media channels, with over 2.2 million followers combined on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, where parents can help their kids track Ol' St. Nick. (A social media team typically operates from a separate conference room at the NORAD base.)
A popular tracker alternative has been the use of Amazon's Alexa, with nearly 9 million youngsters last season asking Alexa “Where is Santa?”, Wiseman told AccuWeather. Yet another mode of tracking the jolly man in red is via OnStar, which partnered with NORAD in 2009 to offer a special service for kids.
Volunteers stationed at NORAD headquarters in Colorado are busy fielding calls from children on Christmas Eve 2021. (NORAD)
As Christmas draws closer, children can play games and holiday music at the Santa Tracker website, where a new arcade game is posted daily. Visitors can also check out the web store at Santa’s North Pole Village.
The NORAD Tracks Santa site is the modern-day twist on a beloved annual event that was first conceived in 1955 -- by accident. That was the year a Colorado Springs newspaper ad invited kids to call Santa on a hotline. Not checking it twice, the Sears Roebuck and Co. store that ran the ad printed the wrong number and dozens of kids wound up talking to the Continental Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD’s predecessor.
The Sears Roebuck and Co. ad that led to the annual NORAD Tracking Santa operation. (NORAD Public Affairs, Bob Jones)
The officers on duty, of course, played along and began sharing reports of Santa’s progress as Christmas Day neared. And so the tradition began at NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canada command that monitors North American skies and seas from a control center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
Today, about 1,500 volunteers help field the hundreds of phone calls received at the base on Christmas Eve from eager children calling to see if Santa and his sleigh have reached their rooftops. Besides U.S. military personnel, also volunteering are members of the Canadian military, and local civilians.
Some of the volunteers work Christmas Eve night in 2021 to field calls from children inquiring about Santa's whereabouts. (NORAD)
Although some of the questions don't stop at Santa's GPS coordinates. NORAD's Maj. Cameron Hillier said some of the other, more notable queries include:
"Can I get a fire truck for Christmas? A real one, not a toy one?"
"Does Santa have pets? Do they talk?"
"Will you call me back when Santa gets to my house?"
Beginning at 6 a.m. EST on Christmas Eve, children can start calling NORAD toll-free at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). And don't forget to check your friendly weather app to see how the conditions outside might affect Santa's delivery route.
GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
A NORAD worker helps with the special tracking technology at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. (NORAD)
READ MORE HERE:
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo