santa tracker on safari

How to track Santa this Christmas on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Your kids will want to stay on the "nice" list, because Santa Claus is coming to town.

Google Santa Tracker

NORAD Tracks Santa Claus

Santa Claus Call - Tracker

Santa Tracker & Wishlist Maker

Santa Tracker and Status Check

On Christmas Eve, you and your children can track Santa's journey towards your home with the help of modern technology. No more guessing when Santa might arrive! You'll be sure to have the milk and cookies for Santa, plus some carrots for his hard-working reindeer, in time for his arrival. You can start even earlier than Christmas Eve to play games, talk to Santa, and other fun features that get everyone into the Christmas spirit. Use your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or even your Apple TV to enjoy some Christmas magic with the whole family.

Use Google's Santa Tracker on the device of your choice. It's free to use and it includes a ton of fun interactive and educational games for your child to play leading up to the big day. During the entire month of December, your child can learn to code with games like "Code Boogie," learn about holiday traditions around the world, get creative with games like "Elf Maker," read interactive story books, watch videos, and more. On Christmas Eve, the Santa Tracker kicks into gear and your child can follow Santa on his journey around the world.

Visit Google's Santa Tracker on any of your devices in Safari or your browser of choice. There's Christmas entertainment for the whole family all season long.

Go to site: Google Santa Tracker

NORAD, or North American Aerospace Defense Command, is "a United States and Canada bi-national organization which defends the homeland through aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for North America." Despite NORAD's rather serious mission, it has a light-hearted Santa tracker that you can access via iPhone/iPad app or on your Mac using Safari or your browser of choice. Leading up to the big day, you can learn more about NORAD and about Santa on the site or app. Listen to Christmas music, read stories, play games, watch movies, and even buy NORAD Christmas merch. On Christmas Eve, you can follow along as NORAD uses its radar systems to track Santa with maximum accuracy.

NORAD Tracks Santa

The North American Aerospace Defense Command takes time out of its busy schedule to track Santa with its high-tech radar systems.

Download app from: App Store

Or go to site: NORAD Tracks Santa

This iPhone app does include a Santa Tracker, but its headline feature is that you can have a phone call with Santa. You enter your child's name and choose how long you'd like the call to be. You'll get an incoming "call" from Santa Claus. You can also have a simulated text conversation with Santa. The app has other fun Christmas features, such as a photo booth that lets you and your child create personalized holiday greetings with frames, stickers, text, and borders. You can also create fun Christmas videos that you can upload straight to your social media of choice.

Schedule a call with Santa, exchange text messages with him, and track him with this fun iPhone app. You can also create Christmas photos and videos to share with friends and family.

Download from: App Store

Unlike many Santa tracking apps, this one lets you track Santa all year round, not just on Christmas Eve. The iPhone app also includes a Christmas countdown. A major feature that sets this app apart from other trackers is the detailed gifting list. You can sort it by people or by gift items. I'm sure that your child will enjoy filling out their own gift wish list, so that you can share it with Santa. 

This iPhone app is a year-round Santa tracker, Christmas countdown clock, and gift list maker all in one. Your child can create their own list of desired gifts so you can share it with Santa.

Here's an app that lets you track Santa Claus on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. The app has three features. The first is a Santa Tracker, which allows you to see where Santa is in relation to your home on Christmas Eve. The second is a real time Christmas countdown, so you know exactly how long until the big day. Finally, Santa's Status Check. This lets you see what Santa's up to at any given time, such as how many letters he's received so far or what his last snack was.

Track Santa Claus, count down until Christmas, and see what Santa's up to in real time. Download this app on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV.

Have a Merry Christmas

Childhood is fleeting; make the most of it with holiday fun like this. You have a precious few years while your children are young. These Santa trackers are fun for kids and parents alike. Perhaps they might even help keep the Christmas magic alive for just a bit longer. Knowing where Santa is on his journey builds anticipation and makes it all the more real for your child. 

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

Karen is a contributor to iMore.com as a writer and co-host of the iMore Show. She’s been writing about Apple since 2010 with a year-long break to work at an Apple Store as a product specialist. She's also a contributor at TechRadar and Tom's Guide. Before joining iMore in 2018, Karen wrote for Macworld, CNET, AppAdvice, and WatchAware. She’s an early adopter who used to wait in long lines on release days before pre-ordering made things much easier. Karen is also a part-time teacher and occasional movie extra. She loves to spend time with her family, travel the world, and is always looking for portable tech and accessories so she can work from anywhere.

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Track Santa's Journey From the North Pole Using Google's Santa Tracker

If you have been good this year, you may be interested to know that Google today launched its annual Santa tracking feature , allowing Santa to be tracked in real time on his mythical journey to the North Pole as he prepares to deliver presents to kids around the world.

Santa can be tracked using a web browser on iPhone , iPad , or Mac by visiting Google's official Santa Tracking website . The site features a live map of Santa's current location, his next stop, a live video feed of his journey, and the estimated time that he will arrive in each specific location.

The Santa site provides pictures of locations that Santa has already visited, a live count of gifts that have been delivered, and Santa's current distance from your location. There are also a selection of games to play, creative things to do, and videos to watch.

Other Santa tracking services are also available, such as the NORAD Tracks Santa Claus app and website, but Google's site is often the most interactive and detailed.

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How to track Santa Claus with your kids on your iPhone or iPad

Norad Tracks Santa

Perhaps the best known Santa Claus tracking method is NORAD, which has its own dedicated app available for free, designed for both iPhone and iPad. Upon opening the app, users will be presented with a 3D map featuring a rendering of Santa and his reindeer as they trot across the globe.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command has been running the Christmas-themed program since 1955. It began when a Sears department store in Colorado Springs placed an ad in a newspaper telling children to call a number to talk to Santa Claus, but mistakenly printed the number for the Colorado Springs Continental Air Defense Command.

With an influx of calls to his station, Colonel Harry Shoup had his staff check the radar for any signs of Santa traveling south from the North Pole, and provide updates to children. In 1958, CONAD became a part of NORAD, and the tradition continues to this day.

The "NORAD Tracks Santa" app is a native recreation of the event's mobile website. In addition to current location, it features games, videos, music, information about NORAD and its mission, and more.

Google Santa Tracker

Another way to track Santa Claus is the official Google Maps app for iOS. Simply open the app on your iPhone or iPad and search for Santa Claus, and you'll be presented with his location on a map, as well as the option to "visit" that location.

Upon tapping the visit icon in the bottom righthand corner, the Google Maps app opens an in-app Web browser to present information like current distance, gifts delivered, and next stop.

The Google Santa Tracker is also available in Safari on an iPhone, iPad or Mac by opening the Google Maps website and searching for Santa Claus.

For those curious, Apple Maps for iOS and Mac does not provide updates on the current location of Santa Claus. Searching his name simply provides directions to the city of Santa Claus, Ind.

The small town of Santa Claus has the world's only post office to bear the most common name for Kris Kingle, which results in thousands of letters being received there every year. Since at least 1914, volunteers known as "Santa's Elves" ensure that every child who sends a letter receives a response from Santa.

10 Comments

I am surprised that the US Government let this kind of security information leak out so easily. If the terrorists know the location of Santa, then the terrorists have won! In other news, they have been selling out of the "Tickle-Me-Elmo Assault Rifles" this year.

techlover said: I am surprised that the US Government let this kind of security information leak out so easily. If the terrorists know the location of Santa, then the terrorists have won! In other news, they have been selling out of the "Tickle-Me-Elmo Assault Rifles" this year. or....we could just let go of the references..for one day, maybe...and let the kids and the big kids enjoy the day, leave fanning flames and reminding everyone of the crisis to CNN, whose sole job seems to be doing just that. happy holidays.

Gee, Is this the same NORAD that was responsible for security of New York on 911. Excellent news to brain wash children.

Better to tell kids that Santa was a creation of the Coca-Cola company and appreciate who really purchased their presents...their parents. Why entertain fantasies that give kids the wrong ideas about how the world really works?

SpamSandwich said: Better to tell kids that Santa was a creation of the Coca-Cola company and appreciate who really purchased their presents...their parents. Why entertain fantasies that give kids the wrong ideas about how the world really works? Then they can at least enjoy the thought, excitement and magic, until they grow up and become cynical and dull.

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• iPhone Apps

How to Track Santa on Christmas Eve on Your iPhone or iPad

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 24 Dec 2021

If you want to know Santa Claus’ whereabouts on his journey of delivering gifts to everyone this Christmas, thank Google and your iPhone. The process is simpler than you thought, and you can track Santa in just a few simple taps.

Google Santa Tracker

Using Google Santa Tracker, you can track Santa on his mythical journey from the North Pole to every kid’s house in the world, delivering gifts. Simply open the Google Maps app on your iPhone or iPad and search for “Santa Claus.” The app will then display his location and provide you with an option to “visit” that location.

Tapping on the visit icon will provide you with more information about Santa’s journey, like the total distance traveled, the number of gifts he has delivered until now, his next stop, and more.

If you don’t have Google Maps installed, you can still track Santa’s location by visiting the Google Santa Tracker website here . You can use the website to see Santa’s ETA, number of gifts delivered, and next stop. You can also visit the Local Guides page for the indicated next stop. Besides this, Google also offers many games you can indulge in while you wait for Santa to drop your present off.

Google first started tracking Santa in 2004. Initially, the company used its own Google Earth platform to display Santa’s location. From 2007 to 2011, though, the company worked closely with NORAD. However, in 2012, Google tracked Santa on its own as NORAD started working with Microsoft.

NORAD Santa Tracker

If you don’t like Google’s Santa Tracker and prefer something developed by the Government instead, you can use another popular Santa tracking app: NORAD Tracks Santa . The app was created by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). It is available for both iPhones and iPad. You can also visit the Norad Santa website on Safari on your iPad or iPhone to track Santa’s journey.

NORAD started tracking the location of Santa Claus thanks to a mistake. In 1955, a Sears store accidentally printed the wrong number to call Santa — the number was that of CONAD, NORAD’s predecessor. The CONAD went with this narrative and provided Santa’s location to everyone who called them. Since then, NORAD has continued to track Santa every year.

Did you find these Santa trackers helpful? Tell us in the comments!

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The source code to Santa Tracker's website, by Google

google/santa-tracker-web

Folders and files, repository files navigation, google santa tracker for web.

This repository contains the code to Google Santa Tracker , an educational and entertaining tradition for the December holiday period.

We hope you find this source code interesting. In general, we do not accept external contributions from the public. You can file bug reports or feature requests, or contact the engineering lead Jez Swanson .

(This text duplicated in contributing.md )

Santa Tracker supports evergreen versions of Chrome, Firefox and Safari. It also supports other Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Opera etc).

We also present a "fallback mode" for older browsers, such as IE11, which allow users to play a small number of historic games.

Site Structure

Santa Tracker is split up into different scenes. Each page on the Santa Tracker corresponds to one scene, including the main village page, modvil . The scenes are in the static/scenes/ directory. Each scene is loaded as an iframe, and is relatively self contained.

The host part of the site handles the loading of each scene, as well as the music and common UI, like the game score or tutorial. There's an API between the host and the scenes, which allows the host to notify the scenes when events like the scene loading happens, and allows the scenes to tell the host to do things like play a song or update the score.

Development Guide

Running locally.

You'll need yarn or npm . You may also need Java if you're building on Windows, as the binary version of Closure Compiler is unsupported on that platform.

Clone and run yarn or npm install to install deps, and run ./serve.js to run a development server. The development URL will be copied to your clipboard.

The serving script ./serve.js will listen on both ports 8000 and 8080 by default. Port 8000 serves the host part of the site (this corresponds to the production https://santatracker.google.com domain), and port 8080 serves the static content, including the scenes.

To load a specific scene, open e.g., http://localhost:8000/boatload.html . Once the site is loaded, you can also run santaApp.route = 'sceneName' in the console to switch scenes programmatically.

If you'd like to load a scene from the static domain—without the "host" code—you can load it at e.g., http://127.0.0.1:8080/st/scenes/elfmaker/ . This is intentionally not equal to "localhost" so that prod and static run cross-domain. The "host" provides scores, audio and some UI, so not all behavior is available in this mode.

As of 2020, development requires Chrome or a Chromium-based browser. This is due to the way we identify ESM import requests, where Chromium specifies additional headers. (This is a bug, not a feature.)

Add A New Scene

Scenes are fundamentally just pages loaded in an <iframe> . You can write them in any way you like, but be sure to call out to the "host" to play audio, report scores, or request other things like the display of tutorials.

To add a new scene, you'll need to:

Create the static/scenes/sceneName folder, adding index.html , which runs code in ES modules only:

• Ensure you include a <script type="module"> that imports src/scene/api.js , which sets up the connection to the prod "host".
• Optionally listen to events from the API, such as 'pause', 'resume', and 'restart'; and configure an api.ready(() => { ... }) callback that is triggered when the scene is to be swapped in
• Import the magic URL ./:closure.js if you're writing Closure-style code―this will compile everything under js/
• For more information, see an existing scene like boatload or santaselfie

Add associated PNGs:

• static/img/scenes/sceneName_2x.png (950x564) and sceneName_1x.png (475x282)
• prod/images/og/sceneName.png (1333x1000)

Name the scene inside strings .

If your scene should not be released to production, disable it inside release.js .

Environment

The build system provides a virtual file system that automatically compiles various source types useful for development and provides a number of helpers. This includes:

• .css files are generated for their corresponding .scss
• .json is generated for their corresponding .json5
• The static/scenes/sceneName/:closure.js file can be read to compile an older scene's js/ folder with Closure Compiler, providing a JS module with default export.

These files don't actually exist, but are automatically created on use. For example, if foo.scss exists, you can simply load foo.css to compile it automatically.

Sass helpers

When writing SCSS, the helper _rel(path.png) generates a url() which points to a file relative to the current .scss source file—even imports.

This works regardless of how the SCSS is finally used, whether <link href="..." /> or as part of a Web Component.

The source file static/src/magic.js provides various template tag helpers which, while real functions, are inlined at release time. These include:

• _msg`msgid_here`​ generates the corresponding i18n string
• _static`path_name`​ generates an absolute reference to a file within static

Also, Santa Tracker is built using JS modules and will rewrite non-relative imports for node_modules . For example, if you import {LitElement} from 'lit-element'; , this will be rewritten to its full path for development or release.

As well as JavaScript itself, Santa Tracker's development environment allows imports of future module types: CSS, JSON and HTML.

When possible support touch, keyboard, and gamepad input. Note that basic gamepad support is offered via synthetic keyboard events in keys.js .

Santa Tracker uses an audio library known which exists in the prod "host" only, but can be triggered by API calls in scenes. This is largely undocumented and provided by an external vendor. If you're interested in the audio source files, they are in the repo under static/audio (and are licensed, as mentioned below, as CC-BY).

The audio library plays audio triggers which play temporary sounds (e.g., a button click) or loops (audio tracks). Scenes can be configured with audio triggers to start with (via api.config({sound: [...]}) ) which will cause all previous audio to stop, good for shutting down previous games.

Translations

Santa Tracker contains translations for a variety of different languages. These translations are sourced from Google's internal translation tool.

If you're adding a string for development, please modify en_src_messages.json and ask a Google employee to request a translation run. If you'd building Santa Tracker for production, you'll need the string to be translated and the final output contained within lang/ .

While the source code includes a release script, it's not intended for end-users to run and is used by Googlers to deploy the site.

Historic Versions

The previous version of Santa Tracker, used until 2018, is available in the archive-2018 branch.

All image and audio files (including *.png, *.jpg, *.svg, *.mp3, *.wav and *.ogg) are licensed under the CC-BY license. All other files are licensed under the Apache 2 license. See the LICENSE file for details.

Code of conduct

Security policy, contributors 27.

• JavaScript 59.8%

How to Track Santa This Christmas Eve on Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, & Apple TV

Kayla Wassell

As Santa makes his rounds this Christmas, don’t leave your kids wondering when he will arrive. Instead, check out these Santa trackers, which have their satellites and radars ready to follow Santa’s sleigh across the night sky this Christmas Eve.

The tradition of tracking Santa started in 1955 when a young child trying to reach Santa dialed a misprinted number from an ad in the local newspaper and instead reached the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs. Since then, NORAD has kept tabs on Santa, and several companies have also picked up the tradition to get into the holiday spirit.

Google’s Santa Tracker website hosts a countdown to Christmas Eve and offers games to help pass the time. There are a slew of games and interactive activities in the Santa’s Village section, such as Snowball Storm, where players parachute into a winter wonderland and must dodge snowballs to collect presents. Check out the complete list of games and activities here .

You will also be able to stream it to your Roku, Fire TV, Google TV, and Apple TV through YouTube. Here is a direct link to the YouTube feed of Google’s Santa Tracker.

It also includes fun facts like Santa’s journey lasts 25 hours and starts at 10:00 p.m. in eastern Russia. Kids can learn about holiday traditions from around the world and the local seasonal lingo. Kids can also use Santa’s Canvas to paint, build a snow castle in the Snowbox, or take a selfie with Santa. 

The Santa Tracker YouTube channel kicks off its programming on December 24. Kids can follow Santa and his reindeer as they deliver presents around the world.

In addition to tracking Santa, Google’s elves are ready to teach kids basic coding skills through games like Code Lab, where players help elves navigate through a forest to find dropped presents — or Code Boogie, a game that mixes coding and dancing skills.

Additionally, Verizon has again teamed up with the North American Aerospace Defense Command for the 21st consecutive year to offer a toll-free hotline so children can track Santa’s Christmas Eve route. Verizon is tapping into its network to support NORAD’s holiday operations to ensure no delays in reporting Santa’s whereabouts.

NORAD received more than 130,000 calls last year, overwhelming Santa’s little helpers. Verizon deployed the Interactive Voice Response System to provide extra support through the holiday season.

“Twenty-one years ago, the Verizon Consulting Services team played a big role in designing and implementing the NORAD Tracks Santa IVR System,” said Tara Sunderraj, vice president for Verizon’s consulting services. “Over the years, the IVR system has evolved, with our team incorporating smart tools that ensure every child has a chance to track Santa and hear from an elf.”

NORAD Tracks Santa’s hotline and operations center employs nearly 900 in-person and 200 virtual volunteer elves, ready to answer questions such as: 

• Where is Santa?
• When will Santa come to my house?
• Where is Mrs. Claus during the journey?
• What are Santa’s favorite cookies?
• How many elves are helping Santa?
• Which reindeer is helping to lead the journey this year?

Kids can ask their parents to call a toll-free hotline that opens on December 24 at 6:00 a.m. ET. Parents who save the number in their Verizon phone can use voice commands to let their child call the NORAD Call Center at +1(877) HI-NORAD.

Also, on December 24, visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website to watch Santa via social media platforms, which will capture his flight through different spots worldwide. You can also track Santa via NORAD apps, which are available to download from Google Play and Apple Store. The apps host even more games, festive playlists, and other activities to entertain your child.

Disclaimer: To address the growing use of ad blockers we now use affiliate links to sites like http://Amazon.com , streaming services, and others. Affiliate links help sites like Cord Cutters News, stay open. Affiliate links cost you nothing but help me support my family. We do not allow paid reviews on this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Follow Santa live on Google Santa Tracker

Dec 24, 2012

[[read-time]] min read

The North Pole air traffic control elves have just notified us that Santa has taken off! For the next day, you can visit the  Google Santa Tracker  to see where Santa’s headed next and keep tabs on how many presents he’s delivered. You can also keep up with him on your smartphone and tablet with the  Android app , in your browser with the the  Chrome extension , and even in 3D with Google Earth and Google Earth mobile (look for it in the Tour Guide feature with the latest version of Google Earth).

And follow Google Maps on  Google+ ,  Facebook  and  Twitter  to get up-to-the-minute details on Santa’s journey around the world. Ho ho ho! Happy holidays everyone!

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Fergus Scholes . Photography by Carl van der Linde

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The outstretched arm of our tracker gestures towards some treetops a few hundred yards away: his ability to spot the seemingly invisible is astounding. Luke, our guide, cuts the engine of the Land Cruiser and turns around: “Can you see? Just through that clearing to the left.” 

Following his direction through my binoculars, I pick out the majestic-looking bird: dark brown head with tufted crown, white breast and piercing yellow eyes. Luke fills me in: “Sometimes nicknamed the ‘leopard of the air’, it’s a martial eagle, with a wingspan of up to 2.5m, one of the world’s largest birds of prey, and the largest in Africa.” This apex predator remains on its perch for a precious few minutes, then suddenly takes flight and disappears into the distance.

I’ve come to andBeyond’s Phinda Mountain Lodge in eastern South Africa on a birdwatching safari. The lodge sits in an elevated position with views across Phinda Private Game Reserve ’s 73,800 acres; its seven ecosystems offer an unusually varied habitat, from lush greenery to open savannah. The foothills of the low‑lying Lebombo mountains stretch 500 miles north into Mozambique, and the azure waters of the Indian Ocean lie just 20 miles east. 

Most guests are here for the big game, but an impressive 436 bird species also makes the reserve a popular birding destination, so andBeyond’s specialist itinerary allows me to indulge a lifelong hobby. 

Much of our first morning is hijacked by my enthusiasm to identify every bird we see, which means we get no further than 200 yards from the lodge in the first hour. But in the afternoon, we head directly to the dry sand forest, which is home to unusual endemic species.

A bright colour flashes by before perching on a small branch

Surrounded by an elephant exclusion fence, we leave the vehicle and set out on foot – as strict protocol dictates, our guide leads from the front with a high-calibre rifle in hand. Orchids and lichen grow in profusion, and some of the Lebombo wattle trees are believed to date back over 1,000 years. The dense vegetation makes getting a good view of the birds more challenging, but we still spot plenty, including African green pigeons, the paradise flycatcher with its unmistakably long tail feathers, and the crested barbet. Then we’re treated to the endemic pink-throated twinspot, a distinctive waxbill with a bright head and black chest with white spots. Extant in just a handful of other locations nearby, this is a favourite for many visiting birders.

My bird knowledge – largely limited to the British Isles – is of little help here in South Africa, so my guide has been invaluable. However, I’ve also been given access to the world’s first AI-supported binoculars, released this year, which enable me to make positive IDs myself. The Swarovski Optik AX Visio (£3,820) combines high-end optics (10x32) with bird identification software. You get the desired bird in your sights, and at the press of a button a suggested species appears on the heads-up display. Behind the scenes, the binoculars are cross-checking the image and GPS coordinates against Merlin Bird ID’s extensive database of more than 8,000 bird species (Merlin’s app is divided up into groups, allowing you to download extra information on the species found in a given region; I installed the South Africa pack of 712 birds.)

Making our way in the vehicle once again, we come across zebra with red-billed oxpeckers picking ticks and parasites from their backs. A little further on, we glimpse a southern fiscal; a black-and-white shrike that also goes by the name of butcher bird due to its habit of impaling its prey on acacia thorns for later consumption. Then, as we pass a small water source, a bright colour flashes by before perching on a small branch; it’s a malachite kingfisher. Meanwhile, a three-banded plover moves busily along the water’s edge, foraging for insects. Luke then spots its nest, which is little more than a shallow depression on the beach containing two small grey mottled eggs.

Over the course of three days, the binoculars help me correctly identify 68 species of bird. Although there are a few, around 30, with which the technology struggled. Sometimes the bird is too far away, or it is obscured by twigs, or the image was blurred – but more often than not, with a good, clear view, the binoculars do an impressive job of identification. Moreover, because a photo is saved with each press of the button, I have a comprehensive photographic diary for later scrutiny.

On my last day, as the sun drops low on the horizon, we stop at a clearing next to the waters of the Mvubu dam, which makes a sublime setting for sundowners. A handful of blue-cheeked bee-eaters flutter above the still waters, a flock of white-faced whistling ducks complete their final flyby, and the nearby hippos quieten their grunting for the night. Biltong and drinks polished off, we hop back in the vehicle and make our way under a starry night sky. Sitting back, I reflect on my first birding safari experience – spotting more than 100 bird species, taking in the big five along the way and myriad other wildlife, it’s been as rewarding a trip as I could have hoped for.

Fergus Scholes travelled as a guest of andBeyond , on an abbreviated version of its nine-night Beyond Average Birding in South Africa experience, which costs from £9,200pp sharing. Includes internal flights, dedicated safari vehicle and specialist birding guide, accommodation, laundry, meals and drinks, andbeyond.com. Guests will be able to book a pair of Swarovski Optik AX Visio binoculars from July, POA

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Maps of northern lights forecast show where millions in U.S. could see aurora borealis this weekend

By Alex Sundby

Updated on: May 11, 2024 / 8:54 PM EDT / CBS News

Americans as far south as Alabama and Northern California were being treated to a show of the northern lights this weekend from a powerful geomagnetic storm which reached Earth, officials said. If the weather conditions are right, people in wider areas on the map could look up and see the aurora borealis .

The storm prompted government forecasters to warn of potential disruptions to communications systems, the power grid and satellite operations, but it also put on a fantastic light display in the night sky Friday. 

"The aurora is when we get energized particles that have left the sun in more quantities than usual, and they interact with Earth's magnetic barrier," Shawn Dahl, senior space weather forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explained to CBS News.

The geomagnetic storm reached Earth Friday evening as an "extreme" G5 , according to the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Geomagnetic storms are ranked from G1 to G5.

"This one is pretty large, It think it's pretty extreme, we got to the G5, which is the highest in terms of strength," said Dr. Nour Rawafi, an astrophysicist with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

It marks the first G5 geomagnetic storm to reach Earth since October 2003. A G5 is so large it can disrupt satellites we rely on for communications and GPS. Elon Musk's Starlink satellites were reporting "degraded service."

Dahl explains a G5 storm can potentially disrupt the GPS we use on our phones.

"It could, because most of our phones are single-frequency GPS systems," Dahl said. 

Experts say the aurora borealis will likely be viewable again Saturday night, with the best chance to see the northern lights between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Sunday. 

"If you happen to be in an area where it's dark and cloud free and relatively unpolluted by light, you may get to see a fairly impressive aurora display, and that's really the gift from space weather, is the aurora," Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist with the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, told reporters Friday morning.

Northern lights map for Friday night

A map from the center showed the aurora would be visible for much of the northern half of the U.S. Friday night. A red line on the map shows how far south the aurora forecast went.

The National Weather Service's St. Louis office said people in the area should leave the city for the best possible chance to view the northern lights.

"Get away from city lights into a dark, rural surrounding and look north," the office said on social media . "Aside from some clouds associated with a passing front, much of the time looks mostly clear."

The prediction center notes on its website that people don't need to be directly underneath the aurora to see it. Instead, it can be observed from as much as 620 miles away.

The weather service's office for the San Francisco Bay Area had been less optimistic when asked if there was a chance for a nighttime show there. 

"Probably not, but I'll still look up while walking my dog," the office said . But the weather service turned out to be wrong, the northern lights were visible from the Bay Area. 

Northern lights map for Saturday night

Friday night wasn't the only opportunity for a northern lights show. The storm was expected to last through the weekend, and the prediction center released a forecast map for Saturday night.

Officials said people in the southern U.S. who can't see the aurora with their naked eyes could still take some dazzling pictures with their phones.

"Cellphones are much better than our eyes at capturing light," the Space Weather Prediction Center's Brent Gordon told reporters Friday. "Just go out your back door and take a picture with a newer cellphone, and you'd be amazed at what you see in that picture versus what you see with your eyes."

Stunning photos showed the vivid display of the northern lights over Europe and the U.K. after nightfall there on Friday.

— Michael George contributed to this report. 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Weather Service
• Aurora Borealis
• Northern Lights

Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

More from CBS News

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Northern lights set the sky aglow amid powerful geomagnetic storm

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Weekly Schedule: See where Escambia and Santa Rosa County teams are competing (May 13-18)

Track and field is concluding this week with state championships across all four classes at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Elsewhere, football makes a temporary return with spring games for a majority of teams on Thursday and Friday. Baseball and softball playoffs continue forward.

Here's what the weekly schedule looks like for Escambia and Santa Rosa County teams teams from May 13-18 (times and days subject to change). All schedules are found via MaxPreps. (note: events with an asterisk are possibilities depending on results of games earlier in the week).

See a contest missing? Have your coach email [email protected] for additions or corrections. Coaches can also email full-season schedules to [email protected] .

Tuesday (May 14)

Softball: Pace vs. Niceville (Region 1-6A semifinals) (7 p.m.); Gulf Breeze at Fort Walton Beach (Region 1-5A semifinals) (6 p.m.); West Florida at Wakulla (Region 1-4A semifinals) (7 p.m.); Northview vs. Holmes County (Region 1-1A final) (7 p.m.)

Wednesday (May 15)

Baseball: Jay vs. Lafayette (Class 1A state semifinals in Fort Myers) (1 p.m.)

Track and field: Class 1A state meet at University of North Florida (field events start at 1 p.m.; running events start at 4 p.m.)

Thursday (May 16)

Baseball: Class 1A state championship* (in Fort Myers) (time TBD)

Track and field: Class 2A state meet at University of North Florida (field events start at 1 p.m.; running events start at 4 p.m.)

Spring football: Tate at Bay (6:30 p.m.)

Friday (May 17)

Softball: Region 1-6A final* (time TBD); Region 1-5A final* (time TBD); Region 1-4A final* (time TBD)

Track and field: Class 3A state meet at University of North Florida (field events start at 1 p.m.; running events start at 4 p.m.)

Spring football: Booker T. Washington vs. Gadsden County (6 p.m.); Northview vs. Central (6 p.m.); Gulf Breeze vs. Milton (7 p.m.); Pace vs. Navarre (7 p.m.); Pensacola at Fort Walton Beach (6 p.m.); West Florida vs. Pensacola Catholic/Pine Forest (6 p.m.)

Saturday (May 18)

Track and field: Class 4A state meet at University of North Florida (field events start at 1 p.m.; running events start at 4 p.m.)

Local track and field collegians shine at…

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Local track and field collegians shine at conference championships | local roundup.

She teamed with Jana Willems and Olivia Martin, and Prabhasha Wickramaarachchi for second place in the 4×100 relay (45.37 seconds), a new school record. The previous mark was set in 2003.

Crouch also took third in the 100-meter finals (11.91) and sixth in the 200-meter finals (24.01).

Mountain West: San Diego State University senior Jessica Kain, a Scotts Valley alumna, took second in the 1,500 (4:17.66) at the Mountain West Outdoor Championships in Clovis on Saturday.

It’s the second consecutive year that she finished as the conference runner-up. She owns the fastest time by an Aztec at the conference championships.

She also placed 14th the 5,000.

Pac-12:  Washington State junior Maya McCabe, a SLV alumna, teamed with Jasneet Nijjar, Elena Willems, and Brooke Lyons for eighth place in the 4×400 relay (3:37.01) at the Pac-12 Conference Outdoor Championships, which took place in Boulder, Colorado, on Friday through Sunday.

McCabe also placed 19th in the 800 (2:09.12).

Big West:  Cal Poly San Luis Obispo sophomore Isabel Sanchez took fifth place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Big West Championships in San Luis Obispo on Friday. The Santa Cruz alumna finished in 10:52.24.

She also took 15th in the 5,000 (17:37.41).

Big East: St. John’s junior Berit Friedenbach took eighth place in the pole vault at the Big East Outdoor Championships in Villanova, Pennsylvania, on Friday. The Pacific Collegiate alumna cleared 3.28 meters.

Men’s track and field

3C2A NorCal Championships: Hartnell freshman Julian Vargas, a St. Francis alum, and Monterey Peninsula sophomore Ronin Tidd, an Aptos High alum, posted top-10 finishes at the 3C2A Northern California Trials and Championships at American River College in Sacramento on May 3-4.

Hartnell freshman Julian Vargas, a St. Francis alum, took fourth in the 5,000 (15:20.12) and fifth in the 1,500 (4:04.11).

Tidd took fifth place in the javelin throw (161 feet, 8 inches) and sixth in the decathlon. He finished with 5,671 points in the decathlon. His best events included a first-place finish in the javelin throw (161-11), and third-place finishes in the high jump (6-0) and discus throw (114-3).

Santa Cruz Masters Cup: Ezra Robinson took first place in the Mixed Pro Open division at the Santa Cruz Masters Cup, held Friday through Sunday at Pinto Lake Disc Golf Course and DeLaveaga Disc G.C.

Robinson, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, earned his 46th career win and $2,957 in prize money with a 30-under-par 181 total. Trent Somerville (186) of Roseville took second and earned $1,958. Max Crotty (187) of Saratoga took third and earned a $1,540 pay day.

Emmanuel Torres (189) of Watsonville was the top local. He finished in fifth and earned $1,136.

Ohn Scoggins of Los Angeles shot a 4-over 215 total and took first in the Women’s Pro Open division and earn $724.

Other division winners included: Aptos’ Tony Tran (201) in Mixed Pro 40+, Juliana Korver (235) of Orange City, Iowa, in Women’s Pro 40+, Sacramento’s Robert R. Bainbridge (213) in Mixed Pro 50+, Richmond’s Anni Kreml (262) in Women’s Pro 50+, Chris Hartmann (219) of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, in Mixed Pro 60+, and Mark Bowman (242) of Longview, Texas, in Mixed Pro 70+.

Boys volleyball

NorCal playoffs: Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League champion and Central Coast Section Open Division runner-up, received the No. 4 seed for the CIF Division I NorCal Regional playoffs.

The Cardinals (38-2 overall) host No. 5 Foothill (29-6) of Pleasanton in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The Falcons went 13-0 in the East Bay Athletic League and beat Castro Valley for the North Coast Section D-I title.

If the Cardinals win in the first round, they’ll either host No. 8 Archbishop Mitty (28-9) or play at No. 1 Clovis (31-4) in the semifinals on Thursday at 6 p.m.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 6 Bishop O’Dowd (35-2) plays at No. 3 Valley Christian (31-10), and No. 7 Saint Francis (25-9) of Mountain View plays at No. 2 Sanger (37-8).

The championship is slated for Saturday at 6 p.m. at the highest remaining seed’s gymnasium.

High school baseball

At St. Francis 9, Soledad 8: Nash Horton had two hits, including a double, three stolen bases, three runs scored and one RBI, as the Sharks closed the regular season with a win Saturday.

Micah Cervantes had two hits, one RBI, and a run scored for the playoff-bound Sharks (22-4).

Scotts Valley 4, at Willow Glen 2: Jacob Pauka had two hits, including a two-run double, and Jack Abel doubled and hit a RBI triple to help the Falcons win their regular-season finale Saturday.

Quinn Turowski had a hit and RBI for the playoff-bound Falcons (16-7).

Falcons pitcher Colin Melrose struck out five batters over four innings and gave up two runs. Lukas Bloom and Kaleb Wing each pitched a hitless inning of relief, and Turowski pitched in the seventh and earned the save.

Reporting Scores

Coaches are encouraged to report scores and highlights to [email protected] following games. Please include your name and contact number in the email.

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What's your chance of seeing the northern lights tonight? A look at Saturday's forecast

Illuminating the night sky with pink, green and gray colors, the northern lights made its appearance in the United Kingdom and the northern half of the United States on Friday. The magical phenomena could happen again tonight.

The show fascinated many onlookers as they took out their phones to capture the beauty of the night sky. On Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued extreme (G5) conditions across the United States. A storm of this intensity has not been seen since October 2003. The storm gained the name "Halloween Storm" and caused many power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa, according to Earth.com .

Meteorologists have predicted that the northern lights can be visible on Saturday as well as Sunday. If you are going outside to see the northern lights, forecasters want to remind the public that their solar eclipse glasses can be used for viewing the phenomenon.

Here's what you need to know to prepare for the next viewing of the northern lights.

The northern lights: Danced across the US last night. It could happen again Saturday.

What is the cloud forecast Saturday night? Will clouds block the northern lights?

If you missed the aurora borealis Friday night, you might still catch a glimpse on Saturday or Sunday, depending on where you live. But not if clouds get in the way.

The cloud forecast for Saturday night is generally good for most of America, but some of the people who missed their chance last night due to clouds may have a similar problem Saturday, said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines. Areas that are likely to be cloudy include New England and Mid-Atlantic regions, as well as parts of the Southern Plains, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

“Even just a few breaks in the clouds will allow the aurora to be visible,” Kines said. “There’s always hope.”

Peak visibility time Saturday night will be between 9 p.m. and midnight, with some chance until 2 a.m., Kines said. The best views will be in dark areas away from the light pollution of cities, he said, though some reported seeing the auroras Friday night from metro areas like Milwaukee and Detroit.

Sunday night, if there is any aurora to see, those in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic can rejoice, because Kines said the skies should be clearer.

Where can you see the northern lights tonight?

The Space and Weather Prediction Center  offers an experimental forecast map  that shows the aurora may be visible in a wide swath of the U.S. including Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Other states like California, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida could also see the sky light up again for an encore performance. But visibility will depend on shifting factors that include weather, pollution and cloud cover.

Below are forecast predictions for seeing the northern lights in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana on Saturday.

Rain and clouds are expected to damper expectations to see the aurora borealis around the Rochester, N.Y. area . Elsewhere in NY, the  Lower Hudson Valley could see the lights again, if weather permits. 

NWS maps predicting the intensity and location of the northern lights Saturday and Sunday show the aurora will be visible in mid to northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.

Saturday and Sunday are predicted to be mostly cloudy with some rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. The NWS predicted 48% to 58% sky cover in metro Detroit from 8 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday. The western portion of both peninsulas are expected to have a lower cloud cover.

In the Milwaukee area , the evening is expected to bring mostly clear skies and overnight will have scattered clouds, said Tim Halbach, local meteorologist with the National Weather Service. 

Those living around the Cincinnati region could be treated to the northern lights Saturday night with the NWS' Wilmington, Ohio , office forecasting dry, partly cloudy conditions. Clouds shouldn't be an issue as many Ohioans reported seeing the lights Friday despite some cloud cover.

 In a telephone interview, Mike Bettwy, operations chief of the NOAA's  Space Weather Prediction Center  in Boulder, Co, said Indianapolis and surrounding areas might have a better chance of seeing the aurora today and Sunday.

They can expect clear skies tonight, Bettwy said.

"The aurora itself might be actually a little bit less active than it was last night," he told IndyStar. "I think the ability for you to see it will be better because the skies will be clearing out — at least in the Indianapolis area and that immediate vicinity."

Northern lights forecast path

If you want to get a better idea of if you will be able to see the northern lights from your state, check NOAA's aurora forecast tool , which has a 30-minute forecast window. 

The auroras are a natural light display in Earth's sky that are famously best seen in high-latitude regions.

Scientist left amazed by the aurora

The aurora seen on May 10 amazed Antonella Fruscione, an astrophysicist at Harvard University. She sent photos of the lights and the April eclipse to her friends in Italy. The northern lights weren't as prominent in Italy as it was in other places.

"And I sent them the picture that I took at the solar eclipse and I said, 'Can you imagine how fortunate I was this year, one month apart, I see these two incredible spectacles of the universe,'" she recalled telling them.

The phenomena seen Friday and possibly Saturday night isn't usual, she said.

"It's a very rare occurrence, especially because last night it was really visible," Fruscione said.

That's because the Earth's magnetic activity was at a nine, the highest the index goes, coupled with the Sun being at an active peak, causing eruptions. She added the colors cannot be predicted either as it depends on how the solar energetic particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen atoms. Oxygen appears green, while nitrogen appears purple, blue or pink, she said.

"It just depends on which atoms in the atmosphere this particle interact with," Fruscione said.

She declined to predict how strong Saturday's aurora could be as it's not in her expertise, but said people make predictions all the time about space weather not just for the northern lights, but to ensure communications, space stations, astronauts and other matter in space doesn't get majorly disrupted.

Down on Earth, however, the activity is harmless to humans.

"It's completely harmless because the particles do not don't do not reach us," Fruscione said. "The reason why we see the colors is that the particle interacts with the atoms and they make these beautiful colors and that's it."

For Saturday, and any other day where chatter about the aurora borealis is high, Fruscione encouraged people to download an aurora forecasting app to their phones so they can see the colorful skies.

What are the northern lights?

The northern lights materialize when energized particles from the sun reach Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph,  according to Space.com . Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of rays, spirals and flickers that has fascinated humans for millennia.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta and Dinah Voyles Pulver , USA TODAY ; Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press ; Alex Groth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ; Contributing: Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer ; Contributing: Steve Howe, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle; Rockland/Westchester Journal News ; Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at  [email protected] . Follow her on  Instagram ,  Threads  and  X (Twitter)

Data Privacy: Your Phone Carrier Knows More Than You Think, How to Take Back Control

Here's how to protect your privacy and turn off tracking on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Most cellphone users in the US are served by three major wireless carriers. 

Data tracking in 2024 seems inevitable. Whether you're using an iPhone or Android phone , your carrier is likely gathering all sorts of data about how, where and when you use your cellphone. 

This month T-Mobile quietly began rolling out a new tracking method called "profiling and automated decisions." Spotted by Reddit users and The Mobile Report , the new option is enabled by default. While the company says it isn't using information gleaned from such tracking today, it could be used later on for "future decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you."

Read more:  Best Cellphone Plans of 2024

But the self-proclaimed "un-carrier" isn't alone. All three major US wireless providers collect data, here's what they gather and how you can turn it off. It is also worth noting that some of this you should want to keep on, particularly identity verification.

While we're focusing on the three main wireless carriers that make up a bulk of the US wireless market, it is likely smaller providers and even home internet services are engaging in similar collections. Heading to an account's profile or privacy page should help you figure out what is being collected and how you can adjust it. 

Read more: How to Adjust Your Streaming Stick or Smart TV's Privacy Settings

As we mentioned above, T-Mobile is not the only one collecting data about how you use their services. You can check your AT&T privacy settings by logging into your account and going to Profile followed by Privacy Choices .

The carrier has four main privacy toggles: 

• Personalized Plus:  This setting "uses data like web browsing and precise location for customization" including for offers and ads. This data includes your precise location, web browsing, viewership history, apps as well as data AT&T collects from advertisers like demographic information, ZIP code and age ranges. The carrier says this data "does not access or use the contents of your texts, emails or calls." 
• Personalized:  This option "allows the use of your data for automated decision making" including using AI to generate more customized ads and marketing tailored and "relevant to your interests." It's on by default. 
• Identity Verification: This "allows us to help non-AT&T companies perform identity verification and fraud prevention," such as a bank to "help protect your accounts from fraud, verify your identity and make sure you authorize certain transactions." AT&T says it does not let companies use this verification "for any other purpose than those services." This is on by default. 
• Share or sell my personal information: This lets AT&T "share limited information to create, deliver and measure advertisements for things you might like" including targeted ads. This is on by default. 

Of the four, you can easily toggle off all settings, though I would recommend keeping identity verification on for all lines on your account.

T-Mobile's privacy options are a bit more varied. To access the company's Privacy Center , log into your T-Mobile account and then click My account in the upper right corner, followed by Profile . From there scroll all the way to the bottom and select privacy and notifications and privacy dashboard . 

From there you will see the following: 

• Share data for public and scientific research:  T-Mobile says that this option allows it to "help support research initiatives for the public good, such as pandemic response and the development of new technologies." Created last year, the carrier says this program is in response to requests from "outside researchers or researching institutions." T-Mobile says this data will be "de-identified as much as possible before being shared" and will not include personal information such as your name, though it can share location, demographic and usage data. It also says that data shared here won't be given to law enforcement.    
• Analytics and reporting: This takes data from your device, including app usage information such as how often it was opened and zip code and combines it with "self-declared data like age range (e.g., 25 to 34) and gender, to prepare aggregated business and marketing reports," which T-Mobile can then use and share with other companies. The carrier says that these reports do not identify individuals. This is on by default. 
• Advertising options: This is for personalized ads , with the carrier collecting details about apps you download and how long you've used them, combining it with other data it collects such as your location and demographic. As with similar options from other providers and sites, turning this off doesn't stop you from seeing ads but the carrier says that you are "more likely to see ads about things you like" if you keep these options on. This is on by default. 
• Product development: This lets T-Mobile use your personal data, including your precise location, phone numbers you call, apps and websites you use, as well as helping advertisers "make the ads they show you better."
• Profiling and automated decisions: This is T-Mobile's seemingly latest privacy option that we mentioned above, and while the carrier says it isn't doing anything with this today, it appears to be giving itself the option to do so going forward. On its site it describes this as taking personal data it collects about you "to evaluate, analyze, or predict certain personal aspects about your performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements." It is on by default. 
• Do not sell or share my personal information:  This allows you to tell T-Mobile not to sell or share the data it has about you with other companies. The company notes on its site that it still may share "some personal information with our service providers so you can, for example, receive products and services from us." In an annoying extra step, the carrier notes on its website that you can limit what data third-party advertisers share with T-Mobile through its Magenta Advertising Platform, but to opt out of that you need to download a separate app .

Of these options, I would recommend turning all of them off. 

In addition to the dashboard, T-Mobile's Privacy Center website  details something called "phone privacy." T-Mobile says that it uses information gathered from here to "identify offers for T-Mobile calling plans, protect against fraud, and respond to emergencies" but that under this policy it is not collecting "your name, address, phone number or the content of your phone calls." It also says it's not sharing this data with other companies so that it could "help them market their stuff." 

Verizon 

Like T-Mobile, Verizon has a host of different options when it comes to privacy. This can be found by logging in, clicking on account then account overview . From there, select edit profile and settings and choose manage privacy settings . 

• Customer Proprietary Network Info:  This lets Verizon use the information it has about you to sell you other services beyond whatever you're already paying for. This is on by default. 
• Business and Marketing Insights:  This takes information about location, web browsing, "app/feature use" as well as your demographic and then combines that with information Verizon gets from other companies to help Verizon create "insights" like if many people are often traveling to a particular place at a particular time. The carrier says this information is collected "in aggregate" so that it can help it and "others better understand consumer actions." This is on by default. 
• Custom Experience: This takes information about "websites you visit and apps you use" to "help us better understand your interests" such as if you like sports or gaming. Verizon says it does not share or sell this information with others. It's on by default. 
• Custom Experience Plus: This combines the information gathered from the CPNI and Custom Experience sections so that Verizon can "personalize" its marketing and recommendations for you as well as "develop plans, services and offers" that would be "more appealing to you." This is an opt-in and the carrier says that it doesn't sell this data to other companies for their own respective advertising, though opting in here will automatically enable the Business and Marketing Insights . 
• Identity Verification:  This shares "certain account, device and profile data" with third parties to help "verify your identity and help protect you against identity theft and account takeover." This is on by default. 

There is also a Custom Experience tab that lets you reset your Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus options, and doing so will have Verizon "stop using the web browsing and location data" that it previously collected as part of the program. 

Of all of Verizon's options, I would recommend turning off all but Identity Verification. That should remain on. 

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Controlled demolition at Baltimore bridge collapse site on track

By LEA SKENE Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP) — Crews are expected to conduct a controlled demolition Monday evening to break down the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a major step in the cleanup as officials seek to fully reopen the port’s busy shipping channel by the end of the month.

Engineers have been preparing for weeks to use explosives to break down the span, which is an estimated 500 feet (152 meters) long and weighs up to 600 tons (544 metric tons). It landed on the ship’s bow after the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore. Since then, the ship has been stuck amidst the wreckage and the port has been closed to most maritime traffic.

The demolition was postponed Sunday because of thunderstorms.

“This is a best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Monday. “Safety in this operation is our top priority.”

Moore noted that there have been no injuries during the cleanup and that the controlled demolition will allow crews to maintain a strong safety record.

Six construction workers were killed in the collapse.

Engineers are using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down, causing them to fall away from the Dali when explosives send them tumbling into the water, officials said. Once it’s demolished, hydraulic grabbers will lift the broken sections of steel onto barges.

The demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and guided back into the port. Once the ship is removed, maritime traffic can begin returning to normal, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners whose jobs have been affected by the closure.

The Dali’s 21-member crew will remain below deck on the ship while the explosives are detonated. U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said containers on the ship’s decks will further separate the crew from the action.

Fire teams will be stationed in the area in case they’re needed, and a “water curtain” will help shield the ship and its cargo from potential flames. Gilreath said a fire is not expected, but if one happens, the ship’s crew will be best placed to help extinguish it.

“We’ve taken into account the safety of those crew members from the very beginning,” he said. “They’re staying onboard because they’re part of the ship. They are necessary to keep the ship safe and operational.”

Crew members haven’t left the ship since the March 26 collapse, which occurred shortly after the ship set out for Sri Lanka. Officials have said they’ve been busy maintaining the grounded ship and assisting investigators. Twenty of the crew members are from India and one is Sri Lankan.

State and federal officials have commended the salvage crews and other members of the cleanup operation who helped recover the remains of the six construction workers who were killed in the collapse.

The last body was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the U.S. for job opportunities. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.

Officials said the operation remains on track to reopen the port’s 50-foot (15-meter) deep draft channel by the end of May. Until then, crews have established a temporary channel that’s slightly shallower. Officials said 365 commercial vessels have passed through the port in recent weeks. The port normally processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native whose father and brother served as mayor decades ago, compared the Key Bridge disaster to the overnight bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, which long ago inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner during the War of 1812. She said both are a testament to Maryland’s resilience.

Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th district, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her relatives. She praised the collective response to the tragedy as various government agencies have come together, working quickly without sacrificing safety.

“Proof through the night that our flag was still there,” she said. “That’s Baltimore strong.”

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The Associated Press

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