Last-minute Christmas presents turned into early New Year’s presents in some parts of the snow-covered U.S., Coscline reports.
A massive winter storm has swept through much of the United States, bringing harsh winter weather and forcing shipping lines to ground planes, close package facilities and keep trucks off the road. The dangerous storm killed at least 47 people across the country and buried parts of western New York under up to 43 inches of snow. Thousands were without power over the Christmas weekend.
UPS said Monday there were service interruptions in 898 ZIP codes in four states, while FedEx expected delays throughout the day.
In Michigan, New York, Indiana and Ohio, UPS said it would stop pickups or deliveries in hundreds of ZIP codes listed on its Service Alerts website. While UPS said it has contingency plans in place to help deliver packages as quickly as possible, the company warned of ongoing service disruptions.
“Significant weather events in several regions of the United States are impacting the UPS air and ground network, including UPS hubs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Rockford, IL,” the company said in a statement. Delivery and pickup services will be affected.”
FedEx went on to warn that “significant disruptions” at its Memphis and Indianapolis hubs would delay shipments across the United States. Like UPS, FedEx said it has contingency plans in place to deliver packages in a timely manner. But the company said package delays would continue into Monday.
Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service warned on Friday that winter storms were disrupting delivery operations in the final days before Christmas.
Dozens of post offices were temporarily closed due to the storm, mainly in South and North Dakota, with several in Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa, the USPS said. It is asking customers to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, stairs and mailboxes to help mail carriers make deliveries.
Amazon also said it was forced to close some facilities because of the storm. Employees at those facilities will be paid for the canceled shifts, the company said.