Community Chat

[MorningLover]

Massive winter storm disrupts America's last-minute holiday deliveries.

If you're hoping that your last-minute Christmas gift will arrive on time, you may be out of luck.

Amazon, the US Postal Service, UPS and FedEx are all warning that the winter storm hitting large swaths of the United States is disrupting operations in the final delivery days before Christmas.

"FedEx Express experienced substantial disruptions at our Memphis and Indianapolis hubs last night due to severe winter weather that has been moving across the United States," the company said in a statement Friday morning. "FedEx is committed to provide service to the best of our ability."

FedEx told US customers that packages expected to be delivered Friday or Saturday could be delayed. UPS said its delays may be somewhat more localized.

"Significant weather events across several regions of the U.S. are impacting the UPS Air and Ground network, including UPS hubs in Louisville, Kentucky and Rockford, Illinois," said UPS. "As a result, some delivery and pickup services in these areas will be affected."

The US Postal Service said that 89 post offices have been temporarily closed by the storm, with 53 in South Dakota, 20 in North Dakota, as well as six in Nebraska and five each in Minnesota and Iowa.

It did ask that customers clear snow and ice from sidewalks, stairs, and mailboxes in order to help letter carrier make deliveries.

Amazon also said it is closing some facilities due to the storm. It said employees at the facilities would be paid for the canceled shifts.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we've temporarily closed some of our sites in the impacted areas," said Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait. "We'll continue monitoring weather patterns and will reopen sites and resume operations when it's safe to do so."

The storm has also impacted passenger flight and other forms of transportation in the busy week for holiday travel. 

[On It]

The Postal Service will be closed Monday. Its policy says if an observed holiday falls on Sunday then it will be closed on Monday.

[Eileen in Virginia]

I got an email from Zulily Thursday telling me that some of my orders wouldn't be delivered by Christmas due to weather delays. Although they didn't identify the items, I placed my last Zulily order around the second week of November, in large part because they guaranteed delivery by Christmas. The email included a printable note which explained that their gift had been delayed by these winter storms. 

[millieshops]

@MorningLover   I am less concerned about people receiving last-minute holiday deliveries than I am about those who were counting on today or even tomorrow to travel to be with family and friends for the holiday.

It's not worth the lives of the delivery personnel nor the first responders who'd have to rescue them fromthe road disasters.  Snow storm travel can be treacherous.  When I see the pile-ups on the news, they bring back the winter DH and I were the last car allowed to head west on Route 80 as the traffic behind us was directed off.  Some cars behind us were stuck for over 6 hours and that storm was far less wicked than this one.

[MorningLover]

I Agree with you @millieshops  Stay safe!

 

[gidgetgh]

Fed ex just delivered a J Jill package to me a few minutes ago.  It's been sitting in Atlanta for several days.  It's for me, so no rush, but I feel for all delivery companies in these conditions, combined with the normal Christmas crunch.

Our post office must have pulled their carriers in last night.  I had 4 packages showing out for delivery all day and then it changed at 6:30 last night to "held at post office per customer's request". They didn't deliver our regular mail either.  My guess is they'll deliver all that this morning, but it's 6 degrees here this morning so who knows.

[chrystaltree]

It's winter....

[SloopJohnB]

"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat....."  

[brandiwine]

No gift is worth someone's life.  The weather conditions we have had here in Colorado the last few days have been brutal.  This storm is hitting so many across the country.  USPS, FEDEX, and UPS should have all told their drivers to stay home.  It's winter and anything can happen.  Blizzards and below zero temps are reason enough to keep them off the roads.  It's bad enough the plow drivers and police have to be out there.  The rest of us should be home if at all possible.

[Grace729]

Couldn't believe it when delivery occurred yesterday in midst of torrential down pour and hurricane force winds -