FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service are warning customers of potential delivery delays across the central and eastern U.S. due to Winter Storm Blair.
As of Monday, FedEx's ground delivery services were either suspended or had limited service in more than 6,200 ZIP codes. The carrier's express services had no service in over 3,300 ZIP codes. Impacted states include Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Virginia and West Virginia.
"Delays and disruptions could be possible for inbound and outbound shipments in affected areas due to local conditions and restrictions," FedEx said on its website. "Contingency plans are in place to provide service to the best of our ability."
Shipments delayed due to winter storms aren’t eligible for a refund or credit under FedEx’s money-back guarantee policy, the company said.
UPS won't provide pickup or delivery services on Tuesday for more than 2,700 ZIP codes in eight states due to the storm, according to a service alert on the company's website.
The carrier added that operations at its primary air hub in Louisville, Kentucky, have been disrupted due to the severe weather conditions, which could delay the movement of some packages.
"Contingency plans are in place to help ensure that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as possible," UPS said.
UPS is also extending its delivery commitment times for several air shipping services as a result of the storm, effective Wednesday through Friday, per a separate service alert.
Next Day Air Early and Worldwide Express Plus services will see a 90-minute extension in their commitment times. Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air A.M. and Worldwide Express services to commercial and residential locations, along with other time-definite Air and International Air services, will have their commitment times extended to 11:59 p.m. on the guaranteed day of delivery.
The service guarantee for packages shipped via these offerings will be based on the revised commitment times, according to UPS.
The Postal Service said on its website that the severe weather conditions may impact processing, transportation and delivery operations in 11 states and Washington, D.C. It advised shippers to allow additional time for items to reach their final destination.
