Updated: January 26, 2026

Winter Storm Fern is causing widespread shipping delays across the U.S., with heavy snow, ice, and dangerously cold temperatures impacting carrier operations from Texas to the Northeast. Here’s what you need to know about current delivery delays and how to keep your customers informed.

Current shipping delays by carrier

UPS delays: UPS reports widespread service impacts across the Midwest, Northeast, and parts of the South, with pickup and delivery services operating as conditions permit. Operations at the Louisville Worldport hub—UPS’s primary air facility—have also been disrupted. Even if your location isn’t directly affected, packages moving through the network may experience delays.

FedEx delays: FedEx issued a national service disruption alert, warning that shipments with Monday delivery commitments may be delayed. While the carrier has deployed contingency plans at its Memphis and Indianapolis hubs, weather delays could continue throughout the week.

USPS delays: The Postal Service has issued alerts for nearly 40 states, warning of potential impacts to mail processing, transportation, and delivery. Affected regions include the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Northeast, Southwest, Southern Plains, Midwest, and Southeast. USPS has suspended its Priority Mail Express service guarantee and halted live cargo shipments until conditions improve.

Service guarantees suspended due to weather delays

All major carriers have suspended their money-back guarantees for shipments affected by severe weather. Refund claims for late deliveries related to Winter Storm Fern won’t be honored, so make sure your team knows this before filing any claims.

How to manage shipping delays

Update your customers proactively. Don’t wait for frustrated emails to roll in. If you have orders shipping to or from affected regions, send a quick update letting customers know there may be delivery delays beyond your control. A little communication goes a long way toward protecting your reviews and repeat business.

Extend your estimated delivery windows. If you’re still taking orders, consider adding a 2-3 day buffer to your delivery estimates for the next week. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver than the reverse.

Monitor carrier status pages. Conditions are changing quickly. Bookmark these links and check them regularly:

Consider alternative carriers. If you have access to multiple carriers through ShipStation, now’s the time to use that flexibility. Regional carriers or alternate service levels may help you route around the worst of the disruptions.

When will shipping delays clear?

Once the storm passes, expect residual backlogs as carriers work through delayed packages. Recovery from winter storm shipping delays typically takes several days after operations resume, so factor that into your planning for the rest of the week.

We’ll continue monitoring the situation and update this post as conditions change. Stay safe out there.

Need help managing orders during the disruption? ShipStation’s automation rules can help you flag orders shipping to affected ZIP codes, batch-update customer notifications, and quickly reroute shipments to alternative carriers.

Start your free trial and get access to multiple carriers today.

Candace Barnette
Candace Barnette
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