HILO — The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has launched its annual Santa locator tool for keiki who want to know exactly when jolly old Saint Nick will visit Hawaii.
The NORAD Tracks Santa website went live last week. It’s manned each year by hundreds of volunteers and staff on Christmas Eve, who answer calls from children around the world and track Santa’s GPS coordinates via a command center in Colorado.
Santa’s exact route isn’t known — nor is it clear exactly when he’ll pass over Hawaii — but he generally starts around the international date line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west, said NORAD spokesman Capt. Chase McFarland. Children are advised to be in bed by 9 p.m. HST and Santa can arrive at any point until about midnight.
“Historically, Santa is going to visit the South Pacific first — New Zealand, Australia and then Japan, Asia, Africa, Europe and Canada,” McFarland said. “For some (he arrives) earlier, for others it’s closer to midnight. We recommend everyone should be in bed around 9 p.m., otherwise he’ll go to the next house until the kids are asleep.”
NORAD’s Santa tracker program has been going strong 62 years. It reportedly began after an advertisement misprinted a phone number for children to call Santa direct. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang to the crew commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center (now NORAD). The commander played along and the tradition has continued ever since.
The program has become more sophisticated through the years and now features an entire social media team that posts Facebook videos as well as “Santa Cam” images via radar satellites. The tracker website also features games and activities in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
And for those wondering whether current tensions in places such as North Korea will put a kink in Santa’s plans — NORAD says it’s unlikely.
“Santa being Santa, he’s a good will ambassador and he can fly all over the world without any issue,” McFarland said. “He visits all homes where children believe in him.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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How to track Santa
Santa can be tracked online at www.noradsanta.org starting at 9:01 p.m. HST today. Trackers also can watch Santa make preparations for his flight.
On Christmas Eve, keiki can speak to live phone operators to inquire as to his whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723), or by sending an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.
Did you know? (According to NORAD)
• Santa stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 260 pounds (before cookies). NORAD thinks he’s at least 16 centuries old.
• His first flight is estimated to be Dec. 24, 343 A.D.
• Santa’s sleigh is an all-weather, multipurpose, vertical short-takeoff and landing vehicle. It’s capable of traveling vast distances without fueling and is deployed only on Christmas Eve. It’s about 75 cc (candy canes) long and weighs 75,000 gd (gumdrops). Its propulsion is 9 rp (reindeer power) and it’s fueled by hay, oats and carrots for the reindeer. The sleigh’s max speed is “faster than starlight.”