Does the USPS deliver mail when weather is dangerous?

Question

Please include (if you know of one) An online resource.

Answer 1

The manuals in question (available at USPS.com) would be the ASM (administrative support manual) and the ELM (employee and labor relations manual). Technically only the local Postmaster can curtail delivery. In reality though the Postmaster takes the lead from the district manager. A Postmaster who went out on a limb and canceled delivery w/o a darn good reason would face serious repercussions, including but not limited to, criminal prosecution for delay of the mail. That having been said even when delivery is canceled a handful of Letter Carrier are still recruited to go out and attempt to deliver express mail. For instance, I have delivered in several feet of snow to make sure our delivery guarantee on express mail was covered.

Answer 2

The decision to curtail delivery is usually made on a district level by the district manager. There are 48 districts in the US who report to 8 area managers. If weather make delivery dangerous in a local area, the local postmaster must ask permission from a district manager to curtail delivery.

The rain, snow, gloom of night motto is taken very seriously. In my 30 years with the USPS I can remember only 2 days when delivery was curtailed. Both were because of huge snowfalls. Although the carriers were expected to and did report to work, the trucks which bring the mail to the post office were unable to get through. Sometimes delivery is curtailed to only a part of a route, for instance if the mailboxes are underwater due to a flood.

On the other hand, I have had to direct carriers to keep on trying in ice storms and in the wee of hours of the night. I recall one day when 12 of the 48 carriers were in the emergency room due to falls on ice and the other 36 were out until midnight completing deliveries for their injured brethren.

I don't think you will find an online resource but you might search under NALC (National Assoc. of Letter Carriers) for more information.

Answer 3

Well, you know their motto..."neither rain nor snow...." But I know for a fact that if there is a serious issue, they will not deliver. They will not put their carriers in harms way just so you can get your mail.

I looked on www.usps.com, which is their official website...I didn't see anything specific saying when they don't deliver (I also didn't spend 20 minutes studying the matter, either), but what I did do is find the news. And it has postings for a few post offices/delivery items that are now back to normal operations after an interruption. So I can 100% say that there are occasions when they do not deliver.

Answer 4

I work for the USPS and yes they make us deliver in dangerous weather. I've been sent out in -30 degree temps. then told after I came back that maybe they shouldn't have made us do that. They don't care what's happening outdoors as long a they are safe in their offices. Neither rain, snow, sleet or dark of night shall keep us from our rounds.

Answer 5

Depends. I live in the Denver area, and during the week before Christmas we did not get deliveries for a day or two. But that was an extreme storm.

www.usps.com has a section for weather related delivery updates.

Answer 6

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will stop the postal service.

But if it's a government holiday, forget it.

Check the USPS website--it should be like, USPS.gov or something like that.

Answer 7

define dangerous? i live in florida and everything shuts down for a hurricane -- other than that they should deliver.

Answer 8

yup

its carved on their buildings

"rain or sleet or gloom of night"

if you don't shovel the walk they won't though, and I never saw one delivering at night either

Answer 9

rain, hail , sleet , or shine,
your mail will always be on time.

I'm pretty sure that isn't true though.

Answer 10

depends on how dangerous