Santa's reindeer cleared for flight in PA. Here's how to track them on Christmas Eve

Santa Claus' herd of nine sporty reindeer — Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, and yes, even plot hero Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — all checked out with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and received a clean bill of health.

That means Santa and his reindeer are cleared for takeoff, and will deliver their gifts on time to Pennsylvania this Christmas Eve for those who made it on the nice list this year.

Santa Claus' reindeer pass inspection; Rudolph's red nose not a concern

Before passing state inspection here, Santa's herd first needed to be declared fit for travel to Pennsylvania. For that, Alaska State Veterinarian Dr. Robert F. Gerlach cleared the reindeer to fly from Alaska.

Once here, Pennsylvania State Veterinarian Dr. Alex Hamberg reviewed the reindeers' Certificate of Veterinary Inspection and declared they are healthy to fly from rooftop to rooftop across all 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

Santa's reindeer passed inspection on Wednesday.

While all of Santa's reindeer passed, there was some concerns that Rudolph and his trademark glowing red nose would not make it, due to the uniqueness of his brightly-pigmented snout.

And how would Santa then be able to guide his packed sleigh through Pennsylvania's nighttime skies? The fallout would have been cataclysmic.

Luckily, Rudolph — red nose and all — passed inspection and is set to lead the convoy.

“Despite Rudolph’s shiny red nose and the team’s mysterious ability to fly, our veterinary experts have declared Santa’s reindeer healthy for their important holiday task,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a statement that undoubtedly allayed growing fears throughout the commonwealth. “Due to excellent care from Santa’s herd manager at the North Pole, and from Hersheypark’s team during their stay here, parents across Pennsylvania can sleep peacefully on Christmas Eve.”

Support Give A Christmas this year: Give A Christmas helps families, seniors and children in Bucks County

How to track Santa Claus and his reindeers this Christmas Eve

Now that Santa Claus' reindeer have passed inspection, the next thing to do is set the cookies and milk and track the red-suited jolly man as he treks across the state.

The official NORAD Santa Tracker will begin reporting on Santa Claus' flightpath on Christmas Eve. There are also links on NORAD's site to downlight the mobile app to track Santa while out and about.

The map tracking Santa's trip around the world will begin on Christmas Eve, or Dec. 24, from NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations.

More on tracking Santa on Christmas Eve: Where is Santa? Here's when NORAD and Google's Santa Claus trackers will go live

NORAD's long history tracking Santa was born from a mistake in 1955. According to legend, an ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper invited children to call Santa but inadvertently listed the phone number for the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor, also based in Colorado Springs.

Officers played along. Since then, NORAD Tracks Santa has gone global, receiving calls from around the world and posting updates on social media for millions of fans, and updating its website following Santa's progress on Christmas Eve.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA clears Santa's reindeer for flight on Christmas Eve. Track Santa