Opm delay shifts Monday commute and school starts for D.C.-area workers

Small changes to agency schedules matter in a metro where commutes are tight: opm’s two-hour delayed arrival for Monday will alter start times, telework choices and school routines across the Washington region. The delay aims to give transportation crews time to clear snow that began falling Sunday; employees also have options for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework as agencies balance safety and service continuity.

How the Opm decision changes morning plans for thousands

The immediate impact is timing: employees who would normally arrive at work Monday morning should plan to come in no more than two hours later than usual, or use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Emergency personnel remain expected to report on time unless an agency issues a different direction. Remote and telework employees who are already scheduled to work remotely should begin their day as usual.

What the announcement said and how it was issued

The Office of Personnel Management initiated the two-hour delay Sunday afternoon as snow began to fall and stick to the ground across the region. OPM Director Scott Kupor wrote in a post on X that the delay is intended to give people more flexibility in the morning if snow comes in overnight, and he noted that milder temperatures reduce the concern about serious icing that would require a full shutdown.

Weather outlook and advisory areas

Meteorologist Mike Stinneford said parts of the D. C. area could see total snow accumulations between 2 and 6 inches after the region began Sunday with rain. The heaviest snow is expected in the evening and will taper off after midnight, with conditions improving Monday as temperatures rise and snow begins to melt. There are also concerns about potential freezing Monday night.

A winter weather advisory is 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. Forecasts show total accumulations between 2 and 4 inches, with localized amounts near 5 inches, and northwest winds gusting between 30 and 40 mph overnight through Monday. Snowfall totals will be higher in the Baltimore region. Expect slippery road conditions that will affect the Monday morning commute.

• Here’s the part that matters: the two-hour delay is specifically meant to let transportation departments clear roads so commutes are safer.
• Employees may choose unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework if those options fit their circumstances, but eligibility rules differ by employee category.
• Emergency staff should plan to report on time unless given other instructions by their agency.
• Snow is expected to taper after midnight, but a freeze risk Monday night could reintroduce hazards.

What’s easy to miss is that officials flagged milder temperatures as a reason not to move to a full shutdown—that detail explains why the outcome favors a delay rather than a closure.

Detailed operational guidance for employee categories

Telework employees who are not scheduled to telework but 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 telework employees who do not report to the office. Remote workers and telework employees already scheduled to telework are expected to begin their workday on time and may request unscheduled leave if needed; similarly, weather and safety leave is generally not available to remote and telework employees who do not report to the office.

Non-telework employees, and telework employees not scheduled to telework who do not request unscheduled telework, must either report to the office and will receive weather and safety leave for up to two hours past their normal arrival time, or request unscheduled leave for the entire workday—weather and safety leave will not be provided to employees who request unscheduled leave. Employees on preapproved leave (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.

Immediate signals to watch as the situation evolves

The real question now is how the overnight snow totals and any post-melt refreeze will affect Monday morning travel times and whether agencies will adjust further. Expect on-the-ground conditions—how quickly plows clear key routes and whether temperatures drop again—to determine whether agencies stick with the two-hour delay or issue additional guidance. Schedule changes by school systems across the metro area are already aligning with the delayed start to allow streets to clear and melting to begin.

Micro-timeline: 5 p. m. Sunday to 10 a. m. Monday — winter weather advisory window; Sunday evening — heaviest snow expected and taper after midnight; Monday — temperatures rise with potential refreeze overnight.

Editor’s aside: The bigger signal here is that the choice of a delay over a shutdown reflects a calculation about icing risk and service continuity, so drivers and transit riders should plan for a slower, staggered morning even if some roads clear.