It's just another day at work of Owen Pickney on his mail route, but because of icy roads and snowy sidewalks, it can be a delivery disaster.

"On a couple routes you just can't walk up the steps, you can't reach the mailboxes because the vehicle gets stuck, that's happened quite often for me, so you just can't deliver," Pickney said.

And the United States Postal Service in Lansing says that's happened several times this winter due to mail carriers facing hazardous conditions. They say if snow and ice isn't cleared from sidewalks, steps and around mailboxes, then mail carriers can opt out of delivery.

" We want to make sure that our carriers have a safe environment in which to deliver, and if the carriers for example are walking, and there's a lot of snow and ice then the mail delivery could be curtailed," said Michael Lee of the United States Postal Service in Lansing.

Maill carries say shoveling alone isnt' enough -- salting is key.

"A lot of people think they'd do us a favor by shoveling, yet when they don't salt it just makes it more dangerous because of the ice, and so we'd appreciate it if they would salt," Pickney said.

There are seven mail zones in Lansing and mail carriers say the problem occurs often in everyone. If mail carriers decide not to deliver they will leave a note during the next mail delivery explaining the conditions were out of control.

" You can't see, you can't drive, I got stuck about six times in one hour."

With more snow on the way, they're warning residents to keep sidewalks clear, to continue delivery.