The Sierra Star Logo

How to follow Santa’s journey | Sierra Star

×
HOME SUBSCRIBE
  • E-edition
    • All News
    • Local News
    • Obituaries
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Weather
    • Submit a News Tip
    • All Living
    • Entertainment
  • Sports
    • All Opinion
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Classifieds
    • Cars
    • Jobs
    • Homes
    • Apartments
    • Placead
    • Legals
  • Webcams
  • Archives
  • Customer Service

News

How to follow Santa’s journey

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 24, 2015 08:31 AM

Santa Claus is likely going to stop by many Mountain Area homes tonight, and thanks to Peterson Air Force base in Colorado, his storybook sleigh ride can be tracked across the world by both children and adults.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command enters its 60th year of tracking Kris Kringle tonight, with 157 telephone lines and volunteers available to answer calls from an estimated 125,000 children, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.

At the NORAD Tracks Santa website(noradsanta.org), cheerful holiday songs greet visitors as well as options for collection of games, an animated North Pole, and information about Santa’s trip, among much more, before clicking on the start tracking button.

At the time of this posting, around 8:30 a.m. Christmas Eve, Santa was traversing China delivering gifts to happy children.

Everyone is welcome to dial 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723), or email noradtrackssanta@outlook to speak to an operator about Santa’s location.

Smartphone, social media, and other tracking methods

It all started in 1955 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. Thus began the tradition, which NORAD carried on since it was created in 1958.

The website linked above is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Official NORAD Tracks Santa apps are also available in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores. Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+. Santa followers just need to type “@noradsanta” into each search engine to get started.

Also new this year, the website features the NORAD Headquarters in the North Pole Village, and highlights of the program over the past 60 years.

Any time on Dec. 24, Windows Phone users can ask Cortana for Santa’s location, and OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to locate Santa.

NORAD Tracks Santa is truly a global experience, delighting generations of families everywhere. This is due, in large part, to the efforts and services of numerous program contributors.

This year’s contributers include: the 21st Space Wing, 140th Wing, Acuity Scheduling, Alaska NORAD Region, America Forces Network (AFN), Analytical Graphics, Inc., Avaya, BeMerry! Santa / Noerr Programs, Bing®, Canadian NORAD Region, Chirpon, The Citadel Mall, Civil Air Patrol, Christmas in the Park, Colorado Springs Business Alliance, Continental NORAD Region, CradlePoint, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution Systems, DoD News, The Elf on the Shelf, Extended Stay America, Federal Aviation Administration, Getty Images, Globelink Foreign Language Center, Harris, Hewlett Packard (HP), iLink-Systems, Kids.gov, Level 3 Communications, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, Meshbox, Microsoft®, Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific, National Tree Lighting Ceremony, Naturally Santa’s Inc., Office Depot/Office Max, OneRender, OnStar, PCI Broadband, Portable North Pole/Ugroup Media, Pueblo Riverwalk, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado, Save the Children, Sears, Space Foundation, Spil Games, SiriusXM®, Strategic Air & Space Museum, Unity, Air Force Academy Band, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, U.S. Air Force Band of the West, U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band, U.S. Army Ground Forces Band, U.S. Band of MidAmerica, U.S. Coast Guard Band, U.S. Department of State Family Liaison Office, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Postal Service, Verizon, Visionbox, West Point Band, Windows Azure, and Xtomic.

Staff report

  Comments  

Videos

North end of Bass Lake iced over after heavy storms, frigid conditions

Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove welcomes visitors Monday after fire closure

View More Video

Read Next

Valley storms, cold weather show no signs of stopping. Take a look at what’s on the way.
Video media Created with Sketch.

Local

Valley storms, cold weather show no signs of stopping. Take a look at what’s on the way.

By William Ramirez

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 19, 2019 04:33 PM

The National Weather Service reports another storm will hit the central San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday. Light precipitation is expected.

KEEP READING

MORE NEWS

Oakhurst RV park gets Planning Commission approval. Here’s what happens next.

Local

Oakhurst RV park gets Planning Commission approval. Here’s what happens next.

February 19, 2019 10:44 AM
Community News, Feb. 21 edition | Yosemite Democrats meeting and Zen 101

Local

Community News, Feb. 21 edition | Yosemite Democrats meeting and Zen 101

February 19, 2019 09:37 AM
Cold winter storm expected to bring more snow to Yosemite Valley

Community

Cold winter storm expected to bring more snow to Yosemite Valley

February 19, 2019 06:00 AM
Ahwahnee woman killed in two-car crash on Highway 49

Local

Ahwahnee woman killed in two-car crash on Highway 49

February 18, 2019 03:23 PM
This week: More rain. More snow. More freezing temperatures. Here’s what you need to know

News

This week: More rain. More snow. More freezing temperatures. Here’s what you need to know

February 17, 2019 02:05 PM
Bass Lake spillage levels steadily dropping, PG&E reports

Local

Bass Lake spillage levels steadily dropping, PG&E reports

February 15, 2019 11:59 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Sierra Star App

Subscriptions
  • Digital & Home Subscriptions
  • Digital Replica Edition
Learn More
  • Archives
  • Customer Service
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Advertising
  • Advertise
  • Place an Ad
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story