Santa Claus is coming to town. Here's how to track his jolly journey to Pueblo with NORAD
Santa Claus is coming to town, and with the help of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), you can know exactly when he'll be heading to the Steel City.
NORAD has been tracking the progress of Santa's journey across the globe every year for the past 68 years, and regular people can follow his progress using the official NORAD Santa Tracker starting at 4 a.m. on Christmas Eve.
If the tracker doesn't load, it can be found online at noradsanta.org. You can also call NORAD's Santa Tracker at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to talk directly to a NORAD staff member from 4 a.m. until midnight Mountain Standard Time.
How did the tradition start?
The tradition began in 1955 when a phone call came in on a special red phone at the Continental Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs.
The phone, located in the operations center, was Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup's direct line to the Pentagon. Only he and a four-star general knew the phone number.
"If that rang, it wasn't good news," Shoup's daughter, Terri Van Keuren, told the Coloradoan in 2018.
Shoup answered the phone, and to his surprise and chagrin, heard a child on the other end. After speaking to the child's mother, Shoup discovered that a misprint in a Sears ad run in that morning paper showed a number one digit off from Sears' Santa line, which was instead the top-secret number for Shoup's red phone.
Shoup stationed some airmen on the red phone to field the calls that kept pouring in from children wanting to talk about their Christmas lists.
He then sorted out the issue with the phone company and was issued a new phone number. While Shoup didn't know it at the time, a longstanding tradition was born.
Santa's journey
Santa usually starts at the international date line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west. Historically, Santa has visited the South Pacific islands first, then New Zealand and Australia, before shooting up to Japan, over Asia, across to Africa, and then onto Western Europe, North America, Central America, and South America.
"Keep in mind, Santa's route can be affected by weather so it's really unpredictable. NORAD coordinates with Santa's elf launch staff to confirm his launch time, but from that point on, Santa calls the shots. We just track him."
How does NORAD track Santa?
NORAD uses a multilayered approach to track Santa every year, they say on their Santa Tracker website.
First, NORAD uses a radar system called the North Warning System, with 47 installations strung across northern Canada and Alaska.
"NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole every holiday season. The moment our radar tells us that Santa has lifted off, we begin to use the same satellites that we use in providing air warning of possible missile launches aimed at North America," NORAD said.
Next, satellites located in geosynchronous orbit at 22,300 miles above Earth use infrared sensors, usually to scan for the tremendous heat given off by a rocket or missile launch. "Rudolph's bright red nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch," NORAD says. The satellites detect Rudolph's bright red nose with no problem."
Lastly, NORAD scrambles Canadian CF-18s, first out of Newfoundland and then various other air bases across Canada, welcoming Santa to North America. In the United States, Santa's sleigh is escorted by F-15s, F-16s, or F-22s. While Santa's sleigh has a maximum speed of "faster than starlight," he slows down to allow the jets to escort him, NORAD said.
Overall, more than 1,250 Canadian and American uniformed personnel and Department of Defense civilians volunteer their time on Dec. 24 to answer the thousands of phone calls and emails that come in yearly from around the world. NORAD has two lead project officers that manage the program. The project also partners with many corporate sponsors that shoulder virtually all the costs.
About NORAD
Besides tracking Santa, the joint United States and Canadian military organization is responsible for aerospace and maritime warning and aerospace control in the defense of North America. It provides early warning of impending missile and air attacks, safeguards the air sovereignty of North America, and maintains air forces for defense against attack. This duty is performed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. More information about NORAD can be found at norad.mil.
Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him X, formerly known as Twitter @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: When is Santa Claus coming to Pueblo, Colorado? Follow him with NORAD
