NORAD Tracks Santa is featured on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.

NORAD Public Relations Specialist John Ingle talks about what NORAD is, the history of the organization tracking Santa, how you can track Santa, and he provides details about Santa’s upcoming Christmas Eve journey. NORAD, which is the North American Aerospace Defense Command, started tracking Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve in 1955 when a young child called into NORAD’s command center accidentally to ask where Santa was located. The organization which uses radar then scrambled to provide the child with confirmation that Santa was on track delivering presents. 

The organization starts tracking early on Christmas Eve morning following Santa’s journey and NORAD states that they are able to track Santa’s journey by their satellites that can pick up heat signature from Rudolph’s nose. When Santa reaches North America, NORAD sends up jet fighters to greet Santa and make sure he is on track for his journey. Ingle tells KNIA/KRLS that Santa Claus will most likely be in the Midwest this year between 9:00 am – Midnight.

“We know based on historical data that Santa will arrive at houses between 9:00 pm and Midnight so anytime in that window he can arrive so the best thing to do to make sure Santa does stop at your house is to be in bed and fast asleep. If you’re not asleep he will bypass your house, but don’t worry he will come back because you will eventually fall asleep. The best advice is to just make sure you are in bed by 9:00 pm and asleep.”

To track Santa using NORAD on Christmas Eve you can visit their website here, you can download their mobile app, or you can call into their call center at 1(877) HI-NORAD. Hear more about NORAD on Today and Wednesday’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.