Thursday, March 7, 2024
Whoa, snow!
California, Nevada whacked by multiday blizzard leaving over 10 feet
A blizzard dropped more than 10 feet of snow in Nevada and central and northern California last weekend, prompting power outages and highway closures.
Higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada were hardest hit, with wind gusts nearing 200 mph reported at the Palisades Tahoe ski resort.
“Yeah, that was a biggie,” said Jerry DePaoli, postmaster in Reno, NV, which was outside the main area hit but was affected nonetheless.
“We did get quite a bit down here in the valley,” he said, noting 8 to 10 inches fell in the lowest areas while higher elevations saw accumulations of 2 to 3 feet.
A fire at the Leggett, CA, Post Office causing extensive damage was reportedly sparked when storm-associated lightning struck a nearby tree. Customers were advised to pick up their mail at the Post Office in nearby Garberville until further notice.
Another storm predicted to dump 1 to 2 feet of snow is forecast for California north of the Sierras and into Oregon later this week.
The Postal Service will continue to deliver where it is safe to do so.
The usps.com Service Alerts and Newsroom pages have the latest updates on service disruptions and operational adjustments.
Off the Clock
Par for the course
This Postal Police officer has met many VIPs while playing golf
My name is Cesar Guerrero and I’m a Postal Police officer and U.S. Army reservist in Los Angeles.
I started my USPS career in 2001, left to join the Army, and then came back in 2006 before joining the Postal Inspection Service in 2015. I’ve been interested in law enforcement since I was a kid.
I work from 2 to 10:30 p.m. When I’m not on the clock, I’m playing golf.
Before my 5-year-old daughter and 4-month-old son came along, I would golf three or four times a week. I usually have a 6 a.m. tee time at my local course. Here in California, the weather is almost always perfect.
I started playing in 2000. I would just play — or try to play — but I really got into it in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each time you play, you challenge yourself. You’re competing with other people, but you are also competing with yourself because you’re always trying to lower your score. You try to better yourself with every shot. That’s what the game is all about.
I take my daughter with me. She loves putting, playing in the sand pits and riding around in the golf cart. I’m trying to get my wife into the game, too.
I volunteer with several veterans’ golf groups and I’ve met a few celebrities.
At one event, I met a golfer named Felix Giles. We were talking about golf, and he said, “Do you know who I am?”
I did not.
Turns out he’s a famous NASCAR driver called “Nighthawk.” We still keep in contact.
I have also played with football great Sam Pagano, and I’ve met Tiger Woods, Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory Mcllroy.
Golf has its physical demands. You’re walking about 4 to 6 miles, depending on the course. It helps improve cardiovascular health, coordination and flexibility.
But I really enjoy being out in the open and socializing with people. I love golf.
“Off the Clock,” a column on Postal Service employees and their after-hours pursuits, appears regularly in Link.
Area and Regional Update newsletters published
The latest editions of the quarterly Area and Regional Update newsletters will be mailed to Postal Service employees’ homes throughout March.
In addition to local and regional news coverage, each issue includes national stories and regular columns from USPS leaders, including Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
Area and Regional Update is available in Atlantic-Eastern, Southern-Eastern, Central-Western and WestPac-Western editions.
WestPac, California 6 on top in scanning
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.36 percent during the week ending March 1, down 0.25 percent from one week earlier.
The data was collected March 6.
WestPac led the four areas with a rating of 96.98 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 95.37 percent rating.
Among the 50 districts, California 6, part of WestPac Area, ranked first with a 97.74 percent rating, while South Carolina, part of Southern Area, ranked last with a 90.56 percent rating.
Scanning data allows customers to track their mail and packages, which helps USPS deliver excellent service, boost loyalty and drive revenue.
To see the latest data, go to the Informed Visibility website and select “Customer Experience,” followed by “DES 2 Scan Performance.” Postal Service employees must request Informed Visibility access through eAccess.