USPS workers in Utah rush to get presents delivered in time for Christmas

SALT LAKE CITY — The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve are, by far, the busiest for US postal workers. The USPS will deliver about 800 million packages during the holiday season. But Christmas Eve, December 24, is the crescendo.

“[I’m] definitely Santa’s helper,” USPS letter carrier Diane Skougard laughed, adding, “also because I’m short and I’m an elf.”

Dec. 24 keeps short helper elves like Skougard busy, though she admits, not as busy as it has always been.

“With Amazon delivering their own stuff now,” Skougard said. “The amount of people that they have working for them, ours has gotten a little lighter. But we still have quite a bit.”

In 28 years with the Postal Service working on Christmas Eve, Skougard has made plenty of magic for families, even if the magic was a tad premature at times.

“I remember one time I delivered, a guy had ordered, like a bike, a really expensive bike for his kids,” Skougard said. “When I showed up they were all outside. So I feel like we kinda ruined it.”

While tonight it may be children with visions of sugarplums and presents under the tree, today it was great-grandmas like Dixie Allred waiting eagerly in their driveways.

“It’s the first my great-granddaughter, has sent anything to me,” she said clutching a package that a postal worker had just handed her. “It’s special to me.”

One thing that Salt Lake postal workers have going for them this Christmas Eve compared to some others is a lack of snow on the ground.

When the snow does come, Skougard says they really appreciate the folks who take the time to clear their sidewalks.