Why You're Still Not Getting Mail Two Days After The Storm

WOBURN, MA -- For the record, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" is not the official creed of the U.S. Postal service. But a post on a Facebook group for Woburn residents gave us some insight why we hadn't gotten our mail in the two days since the most recent snowstorm while some of our neighbors have.

The carrier set off a 30+ comment thread on the Facebook group when he told his neighbors in Burlington that his bosses had given him and other mailmen directions that they were to skip houses if they cannot pull up to a mailbox and drive away safely without backing up. A shoveled out footpath to the mailbox is not good enough.

In other words, you may still have some digging out to do. This snow could linger for some time and there's the possibility more is on its way next week.

We spoke to four other carriers -- two in Woburn, one in Wilmington and one in Tewksbury -- and all told us they had received similar instructions. None of the carriers wanted us to use their names for publication because they were not authorized to comment publicly on behalf of the U.S. Postal Service. Officially, the postal service does not require carriers to deliver to any location they consider perilous -- that includes houses with icy steps, ice dams overhanging the porch and snow-packed paths.

Mail is held at local post offices when it can't be delivered, and carriers attempt delivery the following delivery day when they encounter a perilous situations. They do not, however, notify customers when they have been unable make a delivery because of unsafe conditions.

Finally, if the plow knocked over your mailbox, the postal service will not deliver mail until its replaced. Most towns have a set of procedures for how that situation is handled; contact your local town for more information.

For more information on the Post Office's procedures for delivery during and after a winter storm, see USPS.com.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).