You better watch out, you better not cry, and The Signal will tell you why – The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will be tracking Santa Claus’ flight path on Sunday night for the 62nd consecutive year as St. Nick’s delivers toys and presents to deserving boys and girls across the globe.
“NORAD Tracks Santa is truly a global experience, delighting generations of families everywhere,” the agency said in a press release.
Starting at 2 a.m. on Sunday, curious citizens can access www.noradsanta.org to see a real time map of Santa’s location and to view a number of “Santa cams” places around the world.
The website is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Chinese.
NORAD is an agency under joint-control by the United States and Canada that is tasked with monitoring North American airspace from their headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
Normally busy tracking fighter jets and rockets, on Christmas NORAD analysts are asked to trace the path of a different target.
“It all started in 1955,” the press release read, “when a local media advertisement directed children to call Santa direct – only the number was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the Crew Commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center.”
This coincidence, the agency said, sparked their annual tradition of tracking Santa Claus.
As of 12 p.m. on Sunday, NORAD reports that Santa is currently above Athens, Greece. Parents and children can monitor his position today and into tonight, and prepare accordingly for when his sleigh cruises over the San Gabriel Mountains and into the Santa Clarita Valley.
