The blizzard that has hit the North Pole today won’t slow Santa down at all but it sure makes a mess of things. Elf Quinton says that bad weather will keep Santa’s sleigh indoors for quite a while. Normally when folks gather to watch Santa take off they have a chance to see the sleigh up close while they finish tuning the bells and hitching up the reindeer. This year they may not get that opportunity.

The storm is causing some other problems as well. The airlift underway called Operation Wrap-It-Up is working slower than hoped, because of the storm. Thousands of sleighs have been landing at the North Pole on a temporary airstrip set up just a few yards away from Santa’s workshop. The plan was to have the sleighs land, become immediately loaded, and then take off again according to an efficient schedule. But the howling winds and blowing snow have caused them to move the operation over to the sleigh barn — that is the largest building in the complex and have each team of reindeer land close to where Santa will later take off, go quickly into the barn where the reindeer are unhitched from that sleigh and hitched to another that has already been packed. Then they take off again.

It sounds like a good idea and it is working but for as big as the sleigh barn is it just isn’t big enough for all those sleighs and reindeer and freight all at the same time. It is better than being out in the wind and snow but things are going slower than they hoped.

The whole idea of the operation is one that has many here scratching their heads anyway. What is Santa thinking? Why allow toys to leave the workshop and the North Pole unwrapped?

— Elf Ernest
Direct from Santa’s Newsroom at the North Pole

launchcountdown

Estimated Time to Launch: 21 hours
Current North Pole Weather: 16 Degrees, Heavy Snow, High Winds
Command Center Status: All systems are go, all lights are green
Santa’s Status: Sleeping
Reindeer Status: Sleeping
Santa’s Workshop Status: 94% complete, still working
Santa’s Sleigh Status: 95% ready, sleigh bells being tuned
Wrapping Department Status: 40% complete, emergency contingency plans deployed
North Pole Christmas Party Readiness: 40% complete, no action right now in Mrs. Claus’ kitchen
North Pole Medical Center Report: No issues, all elves are healthy
North Pole Post Office Status: 97% complete, full staff working
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