I’ve got a case from WineBid I was hoping to get shipped ground tomorrow so it gets here in the midwest on Friday. Temperatures look fine along the usual route except for in Napa, where it’s supposed to be high to mid-eighties this week. Would I be stupid to ask them to ship it tomorrow? Do I just need to wait until… October? I was hoping to sneak this last case out before summer! 
(Also, when did it go so hot up there?? Last time I checked it was still cold and drizzly!)
Maybe PM one of the Bowman’s? A pair of my favorite posters, I’m sure they would have the best advice.
Just my opinion… but the most important thing to consider is how hot it is in your area. Most of the time the package will be exposed to warmth would be on the delivery truck.
Most carriers pick up at the end of the day, back to the terminal unloaded and then loaded on 53’ trailers for movement across the country. they don’t “sit” really at all. But they do sit on the truck when the delivery driver has all day to deliver them. That’s when it ‘usually’ will matter.
Again… not 100%of the time, just most of the time.
Spencer,
We will be shipping Monday and Tuesday to all points east. May be hot here, but pick up is late and temps back in the 60’s in the evening while the wine travels to the railhead and starts its journey eastward. It’s the temperatures on the way you have to worry about. It’s 3 or 4 days to the midwest via UPS and that’s by rail. The one package going to FL will get ice packs, while one package to the North east will get double boxed for the cold.
Joel is right on about temp in your area. If you have the wine sent to a business, it generally gets there earlier, but still, there ain’t no A/C in the back of UPS or FedEx trucks.
Joel and Randy, thanks for the advice. Sounds good. When I ship ground from Napa, I try to get it sent out Monday and it usually gets delivered here in St. Louis Friday. It’s supposed to be 60 and rainy on Friday and the box is going to a wine locker, so it should be fine based on what you’ve said.
Spencer,
When you call for the shipment, tell them you want it packed in a styrofoam shipper. Pulp does not protect your wine from the elements.
IMO, the cross country shipping window closed two weeks ago. But that’s just me and I’m a bit paranoid.
Fixed. Yes, you are. 
I wouldn’t have an issue with it at all since it’s only the origin temp that’s high on Monday.
I ended up not having them ship today after emailing with them. WineBid apparently sends all ground out via FedEx, which hangs out in Sacramento for a while. They do use only styrofoam shippers, but ground shipping also leaves their warehouse at 3 PM (seems early, no?) and it was supposed to be near 90 today in Napa at that time according to the weather sites I checked. Those sites also said it’s going to be in the low 70s in Napa next Monday and cooler along the route out here… so it makes sense to wait actually, assuming that weather doesn’t change.
Smart as it’s smoking hot today.
FYI for the future (though you probably didn’t have a choice with the WineBid order), but UPS picks up at many businesses in the late afternoon/evening) and takes the wine down to their depot on San Pablo Bay, a fairly cool area in the Napa/Sonoma region.