Calling all USPS mail carriers . . . (Pocatello, Idaho Falls: houses, live, dangerous)

[LexiloosMom]

Hi to everyone in Idaho! It's been awhile since I've been on here. We were previously looking at the Idaho Falls/Rexburg area, but are now focused on either Pocatello or Sandpoint. I know there is a huge difference between the two. I would like to know if there are any mail carriers on here from either area? My husband is a mail carrier with the USPS and his biggest concern is delivering during the winter there. If there are any mail carriers on this forum who could give me some insight as to what he might expect, I would greatly appreciate it.

[LexiloosMom]

Well . . . it looks as though there aren't too many mail carriers on here! LOL. Maybe I should suggest he see if he can be reassigned as a clerk and then we won't have to worry about how bad it is delivering mail in the snow!

[aelwero]

LOL, well I've never been a carrier, but I bought a Jeep from one... a '71 DJ-5B. Liked it so much I bought a 2010 Wrangler unlimited sport RHD

Maybe I'll hit him up for a job referral in about 5 years...

The answer to your question will vary wildly depending on the particular route... I remember several houses in Cascade where you'd probably have to walk the mail up unless you had a 4WD...

[banjomike]

There's not much difference between Pocatello and Idaho Falls, but Poky has a bigger mail center.

No matter which town you ultimately choose, learning to drive in the winter is a given. It simply can't be avoided, and it's not to be feared... all that's really needed are 4 studded snow tires, learning to slow down and get more distance from the car ahead of you, and being more alert when you're driving. A 4WD is good, but will get you into trouble quicker because it often gives cold-weather novices a false sense of control and stability. Expect a few instances of getting stuck, and some unexpected sliding around- these are all teachable moments, and can be done in an empty parking lot if you don't want OJT training.

One way or another, every driver in your family will learn how to drive on snow and ice if you move here. The learning isn't any more dangerous than learning how to navigate a 6-lane Interstate. (which is way scarier for me.)

[LexiloosMom]

Thanks for the response banjomike! LOL . . . I guess I should have been more specific. I am not worried about driving in the snow, I learned how to drive in New Hampshire. My husband also has driven in snow when he lived in Virginia for a short while. I also lived in NV for 8 years and am used to lower humidity (I suffer here in FL during the summer). I keep trying to explain to my husband that the winters there in pokey or IF would be milder than what he experienced in Virginia, as it is a much drier climate. His biggest worry is freezing his butt off while he is trying to deliver mail . . . lol (what can I say?! I am married to a native Floridian). I know that the winters would be cold there, but do the mail carriers have to wear the big heavy winter coats there? Or can they get by with the short jackets and some heavier uniform pants? How miserable are they really while delivering in the winter? We may have a sub-tropical climate here, but in the winter it is still cold here and it is a damp cold that goes through anything you wear. My husband has never been out West and is unfamiliar with winter in a drier climate. I, however, feel like the cold in Nevada (with 3 feet of snow on the ground) was more tolerable than the damp, wet cold here. Any comments from anybody who works outside in the wintertime there in the pokey or IF area are very much appreciated!

[cleosmom]

Unless he dresses accordingly in winter, then yep he freeze his butt off.

Most who work outside wear their Cardhartts, Under Armour, decent footwear to keep feet dry and warm. Idaho Falls is notorious for wind all year along and when you factor that in to sub-freezing temperatures it can be downright ugly.

[LexiloosMom]

LOL . . . thanks for the insight cleosmom! Is the wind a little less in Pocatello? And are those sub-freezing temps during the day? or is it more limited to the evenings?

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by LexiloosMom

LOL . . . thanks for the insight cleosmom! Is the wind a little less in Pocatello? And are those sub-freezing temps during the day? or is it more limited to the evenings?

We're lucky to hit the sub-freezing temps by day, it's the sub-zero that hits at night. As for Pocatello not being as windy, not so much it is still southeast Idaho