Winter’s wild weather in December is creating tighter deadlines for holiday shopping this year. Multiple waves of snow, ice, and Arctic blasts across the U.S., especially in the Midwest and Northern Plains, could delay package deliveries and make errands treacherous. The U.S. Postal Service’s ground shipping cutoff of December 17 assumes clear conditions, which may not happen. With storms already causing backlogs and temperatures dropping sharply, procrastinators risk late or disrupted deliveries. Planning and shipping gifts early is essential to avoid winter weather disruptions.