COLORADO — The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) released the Official Santa Tracker on Sunday, December 1.
NORAD is a bi-national aerospace warning organization in the United States and Canada that tracks "man-made objects in space, and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America."
In 1955, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) began tracking Santa's flights but was replaced with NORAD in 1958. The organization has tracked the elusive Santa Claus every year since.
With NORAD's advanced aerospace technology, they can even track the flight pattern that Santa takes to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.
"Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west. So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America."
While they typically have a pretty good idea of his route, NORAD officials warn that unpredictable weather patterns could change Santa's route on the big night.
NORAD's live countdown to track Santa can be found below.
Those who visit NORAD's Santa tracker before Christmas Eve can explore Santa's favorite holiday songs, movies about Santa and NORAD, and a library full of information on Santa.
Is it 'truly' affordable to live in Colorado Springs?
How easy is it to find an affordable home? If someone earns $51,000 a year and a third of their income goes to rent, they would need to find an apartment for about $1,280 a month. News5's Eleanor Sheahan takes you on a journey searching for this answer.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
