Neither snow, rain, heat nor gloom of night is supposed to thwart mail delivery, but the unofficial Postal Service creed doesn’t address cold — let alone polar-vortex cold.

At least 20 mail carriers have been treated for frostbite this month in the Postal Service district that covers Columbus and Cincinnati.

And although that number represents less than 1 percent of the carriers in the district, supervisors are warning carriers before they step out into the arctic wind.

“She’ll remind us about frostbite and how to avoid it,” carrier Andy Fraker, 52, said of his boss. “If you need to take extra breaks, go ahead.”

Dress is critical and akin to a combat checklist: postal parkas and ski pants, layers, double socks and gloves, and fur-lined, Russian-style hats. Chemical hand-warmers are a big help for fingers and toes.

via Mail carriers prepare for cold, but acclimate at own pace | The Columbus Dispatch