Dec. 23 (UPI) — UPS and FedEx warned that holiday packages could arrive late this year as a massive winter storm blankets large swaths of the United States just before Christmas weekend.
FedEx said that severe weather had disrupted operations at several of its midwestern hubs, which could delay deliveries across the country.
“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,” FedEx said Friday.
It said packages set for delivery on Friday and Saturday, which is Christmas Eve, could be delayed across the country.
UPS had problems in the same regions, saying that severe weather conditions “across several regions of the U.S. are impacting the UPS Air and Ground network, including UPS hubs in Louisville, Ky., and Rockford, Ill. As a result, some delivery and pickup services in these areas will be affected.”
The storm is also wreaking havoc on air travel, which could impact package deliveries as well.
As of Friday morning, more than 5,500 flights had been canceled nationwide because of the Arctic blast, while an additional 9,427 flights were delayed, down from more than 16,000 the day before. More than 4,000 international flights were also affected, according to FlightAware tracking.
