Opm Announces Two-Hour Delay for D.C.-Area Federal Employees Ahead of Feb. 23 Winter Advisory

Federal agencies in the Washington, D. C. metro area will open Monday with a two-hour delayed arrival for employees, an action intended to give local transportation departments time to clear snow and ease the morning commute. The opm directive, issued Sunday afternoon as snow began to fall and stick across the region, also makes unscheduled leave and unscheduled telework available for staff.

Opm guidance on telework, leave and emergency employees

The Office of Personnel Management issued the two-hour start delay for Feb. 23 and laid out detailed rules for different employee categories. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than two hours later than their normal expected arrival time. Telework employees who were not scheduled to telework but who request unscheduled telework must be prepared to telework, take unscheduled leave, or use other paid time off to cover the entire workday; weather and safety leave is generally not available for those who do not report to the office. Remote workers and telework employees who were already scheduled to telework are expected to begin their workday on time but may request unscheduled leave if needed, with weather and safety leave generally unavailable to remote and telework employees who do not report to the office.

Non-telework employees, and telework employees not scheduled to telework and not requesting unscheduled telework, are expected either to report to the office and receive weather and safety leave for up to two hours past their normal arrival time or to request unscheduled leave for the entire workday; weather and safety leave is not available to those who request unscheduled leave. Emergency employees are expected to report to their worksite on time unless their agencies provide alternative directions. Employees on preapproved leave, whether paid or unpaid, or using other paid time off such as compensatory time or credit hours will generally be charged for that leave or time off and will not receive weather and safety leave even if they request unscheduled leave or other paid time off.

National Weather Service advisory covers District and surrounding counties

The National Weather Service put a winter weather advisory in place from 5 p. m. Sunday to 10 a. m. Monday for the District of Columbia, Fairfax, Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park. The advisory includes a forecast of total snow accumulations between 2 and 4 inches with localized amounts near 5 inches, and a forecast for northwest winds gusting between 30 and 40 mph overnight through Monday. Forecast materials note that snowfall amounts will be higher in the Baltimore region.

WTOP forecast and Mike Stinneford's timing for the heaviest snow

Local forecasting from a D. C. -area station placed parts of the region in a 2-to-6-inch accumulation range, and forecasters noted the region’s Sunday began with rainy conditions. Mike Stinneford, a meteorologist with that station, said the heaviest snow is expected in the evening hours and will taper off after midnight. Temperatures are expected to rise Monday, driving snowmelt, but forecasters raised concerns about the potential for freezing conditions Monday night where melted snow could refreeze.

Practical impacts on commutes, schools and safety

Officials warned of slippery road conditions and hazardous impacts to the Monday morning commute. School systems across the D. C. metro region announced delayed starts to let streets clear and to allow the snow melt process to begin. The timing matters because the two-hour delay and the availability of unscheduled leave or telework are intended to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads during the period of greatest hazard and to give transportation crews time to treat and plow key routes.

OPM Director Scott Kupor posted that the delay should give employees flexibility if the snow arrives as expected overnight, and he noted that temperatures are not as cold as during the previous storm, reducing concern about serious icing that would warrant a full shutdown. He closed his message with a reminder for safety and warmth.

Employee responsibilities and agency discretion

Individual agencies retain authority to give alternative directions, particularly for emergency personnel. The guidance clarifies that telework options do not automatically change chargeable leave rules: employees who are on preapproved leave or using compensatory time or credit hours will generally be charged for that time and will not receive weather and safety leave. For supervisors and staff, the directive aims to balance mission needs with safety considerations while preserving standard leave accounting practices.

Officials emphasized that conditions are expected to improve on Monday as temperatures rise and snow melts, but they advised workers to plan for gusty winds and localized higher totals through the advisory period.