USPS Is Temporarily Suspending Services in These Places

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There is an expectation that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will deliver mail and open post offices at least six days a week. The reality, however, is a little more complicated. Ongoing delivery delays cause many customers to go entire weeks without their mail, and post office closures are a common occurrence around the U.S. This month, the Postal Service is having to adjust its operations for major events. Read on to find out where and why the USPS is suspending services.

READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Making Even More Changes to Your Mail .

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Over the past year, we’ve seen the USPS temporarily stop deliveries and shut down post offices many times. Suspensions are typically the result of service disruptions from “ unusual circumstances ,” according to the agency. These events often impact the safety of operations, and can include anything from staffing issues to severe weather.

For instance, the Postal Service suspended delivery services in several different areas last year due to animal attacks on postal workers. “The safety of our delivery employees and the aim to provide great customer service are both paramount to who we are as an organization,” USPS spokesperson Naddia Dhalai told The Vindicator in September, when an Ohio neighborhood stopped receiving deliveries after a letter carrier was attacked by a loose dog.

More recently, bad winter weather has prompted the USPS to temporarily close hundreds of facilities throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas. “We apologize for any inconvenience that may be experienced, but the safety of both customers and employees is our highest priority ,” the USPS said in a Feb. 1 press release after it suspended retail operations at select Tennessee post offices amid a severe ice storm .

Now, the agency is getting ahead of the situation and warning customers about February suspensions to be aware of.

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When situations like animal attacks or severe weather arise, the Postal Service has to suspend services at a moment’s notice. But now, the agency is warning customers ahead of time about how it has to adjust operations in certain parts of the country this month.

According to the USPS, two major events are going to impact postal service for some customers in February: the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.

A Feb. 2 press release from the Postal Service revealed that the agency is removing its collection boxes in certain parts of Arizona for the Super Bowl. As for Mardi Gras, the USPS had announced in a Jan. 18 press release that the holiday’s festivities will affect some postal service in Alabama.

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The Super Bowl won’t take place until Feb. 12 this year, but the USPS has already sprung into action to prepare for this major event. Tens of thousands of people are expected to flock to Arizona this weekend for Super Bowl LVII, which will be played at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, a northeastern suburb of Phoenix.

To ensure safety and security during the Super Bowl, the Postal Service said it is removing its collection mailboxes from two places in Phoenix—the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the Southeast corner of Third Street and Van Buren. The boxes were removed on Jan. 30, and they will be reinstalled on Feb. 14, according to the USPS.

“The United States Postal Service, working in conjunction with the Postal Inspection Service and other law enforcement agencies, will temporarily remove blue collection boxes in the following locations to increase public safety for the Super Bowl LVII 2023 event,” the agency explained. “Postal officials emphasize this is a precautionary security measure only.”

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Mardi Gras is most commonly associated with New Orleans, but back in 1703, Mobile, Alabama, actually held the first Carnival celebration in North America. To honor the historic tradition, the city goes all out every year with a Mardi Gras Day parade and celebration. As a result, the USPS said that several postal services will be impacted in Mobile on Feb. 21.

On that day, mail and package deliveries will be temporarily suspended throughout ZIP Codes 36602, 36603, and 36604. “The U.S. Postal Service will not pick up mail deposited in blue collection boxes in ZIP Codes 36601, 36602, 36603, and 36604,” the agency added. “Please deposit your mail the prior day before the last scheduled pickup time.”

In terms of facilities, P.O. Box and retail operations will be temporarily suspended at the Midtown Post Office on Feb. 21, according to the USPS. The Mobile Main Office will have these services available, but the “Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) at this location will be unavailable to mailers,” the Postal Service explained.

“Other Mobile area Post Offices will remain open for business and will observe regular hours of operation on Tuesday, Feb. 21,” the agency noted. “The U.S. Postal Service will resume all regular operations (BMEU, blue collection box pickup, delivery, Post Office Box, and retail services) on Wednesday, Feb. 22.”

USPS Just Raised Prices Again—And It’s Already Planning the Next Price Hike

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It seems like we’re having to pay more for everything these days—and that includes our mail. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has been struggling financially for years now. To change course, the agency unveiled its Delivering for America (DFA) initiative in 2021 with the goal of reaching financial sustainability again within the next 10 years. And unfortunately for us, part of the plan includes price hikes for customers. The USPS just raised its prices on Jan. 22—and it’s already planning the next price hike. Read on to find out what you should be prepared for.

READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Getting Rid of This Permanently, as of Jan. 31 .

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Just two months after introducing its DFA plan, the USPS had already announced plans to raise prices. In May 2021, the agency said that it had filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to “raise overall Market Dominant product and service prices by approximately 6.9 percent” later that year. The PRC approved the price hike, and it kicked in officially on Aug. 29, 2021.

Since then, customers have seen mailing costs climb again and again. In July 2022, the Postal Service raised its First-Class Mail prices by approximately 6.5 percent. Then just a few months later, the agency increased prices yet again: On Oct. 2, “a temporary price adjustment for key package products for the 2022 peak holiday season” went into effect. “This temporary rate adjustment is similar to ones in past years that help cover extra handling costs to ensure a successful peak season,” the USPS explained.

Now, however, the agency is back to more permanent price hikes.

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The temporary price hike for the 2022 holiday season expired on Jan. 22, but it coincided with a more permanent change. Back in October, the Postal Service announced that it had filed plans with the PRC for “new prices for 2023.” The commission approved the new rates , which went into effect on Jan. 22 and increased First-Class Mail prices by approximately 4.2 percent.

The USPS also raised prices for P.O. Box rentals and shipping services that same day. “As operating expenses continue to rise, these price adjustments provide the Postal Service with much needed revenue to achieve the financial stability sought by its Delivering for America 10-year plan,” the agency said.

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With the newest price increase, customers are now paying three to five cents more for mailing essentials like postcards, letters, and First-Class Forever stamps. And that’s likely not the last time we’ll see price hikes this year. Instead, officials say that customers should expect another increase this summer.

“The Postal Service expects that, in each subsequent year, it will implement price changes for all Market Dominant classes in January and July of such year,” the PRC said, per USA Today .

The USPS confirmed this timeline for price hikes in a Sept. 2021 press release. “Beginning Jan. 2023, Market Dominant price adjustments will occur twice a year, (e.g. Jan. 2023, July 2023, Jan. 2024, July 2024, etc.),” the agency said. “Market Dominant products include First-Class Mail (FCM), USPS Marketing Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services.”

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These regular price increases are starting to add up for USPS customers. For example, stamp prices are now about 15 percent more expensive than what they were prior to 2021, and they have nearly doubled from the 33 cents they cost in 2000, Money magazine reported.

But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has stood by the Postal Service’s soaring prices and made it clear that he has no plans to stop the hikes anytime soon.

“I believe we have been severely damaged by at least 10 years of a defective pricing model —which cannot be satisfied by one or two annual price increases—especially in this inflationary environment,” DeJoy said during a 2022 Postal Service Board of Governors meeting. “From my perspective, the mailing industry needs to be prepared for continued use of our authority to raise prices on market dominant products at an uncomfortable rate until such time as we have accomplished our objective of projecting a trajectory that shows us becoming self-sustaining—as required by law.”