NORAD says preparations are in full swing ahead of its annual mission to track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

John Ingle, a public affairs specialist with NORAD, said work on NORAD Tracks Santa begins almost as soon as the previous year wraps up.

“We’ve been working on NORAD Track Santa just about as soon as the previous iteration ended,” Ingle said. “It is a year-long push to make sure the next year is always better than the previous.”

Ingle said planning ramps up through the year, with the final stretch now underway.

“We’ve been well underway probably since about February,” he said. “This summer is when it started picking up a little bit more, and now we’re sprinting to the finish line.”

Weather conditions for Christmas Eve will vary widely depending on location, but Ingle said Santa is well prepared.

 

“It depends on where you’re at,” he said. “Here in Colorado, we’re expecting temperatures in the 60 degree range. The North Pole obviously is going to be frigid.”

Ingle said Santa does not rely on NORAD for assistance, even in poor weather.

“The magic about Santa’s journey is that he doesn’t really need our help at all,” he said. “He’s been doing this for centuries, and he’s always made it through any type of weather you can imagine.”

NORAD’s role is to track Santa’s progress using its existing defense systems.

“Our part is just tracking him as he makes his journey around the globe using our radars, satellites and our fighter jets,” Ingle said. “That way we can let children and others around the world know where Santa is at any given time on the 24th.”

 

When Santa reaches North America, NORAD pilots will have a brief interaction with him.

“When he reaches the eastern coast of North America, first coming into Canada, our CF-18 fighter jets will go up and greet him,” Ingle said. “They do a little wing rock to say hello, and he’ll wave back at us.”

Ingle said tracking Santa is a special extension of NORAD’s daily responsibilities.

“This is what NORAD does every day, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “Our job is aerospace warning and aerospace control.”

This year marks a milestone for the program.

“This is our 70th year of tracking Santa,” Ingle said. “It’s something we’ve done successfully since 1955.”

NORAD stands for North American Aerospace Defence Command and is a binational organization made up of Canadian and U.S. military members.

“We’ve been working in partnership since 1958,” Ingle said.