Santa Claus is hard at work delivering gifts across the globe.
By shortly after 2 p.m., the jolly old soul had delivered nearly 3 billion gifts and was nearing Kyiv, Ukraine, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa tracker.
He had covered Australia, Antarctica and elsewhere earlier in the day. It was unclear when he would reach Western Pennsylvania, but historically it has been overnight Dec. 24.
Guided by his nine flying reindeer, Santa was being tracked by NORAD and Google’s Santa Tracker.
NORAD has been tracking Santa’s sleigh ride for more than 65 years. Operations include about 150 volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs manning the phones, taking calls from kids asking for Santa’s location.
Google began following Santa about 20 years ago.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a transit permit to allow the reindeer to enter and exit the United States from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday. Officials said they recognize the vital role of U.S. whole milk and cookies in fueling the festive flight.
To track Santa by phone, call 877-Hi-NORAD.
