A two-hour delayed arrival is in effect for agency offices in the Washington, DC area on Monday, February 23, 2026. Federal employees also have the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework.
The decision was made by the Office of Personnel Management in response to snow moving into the capitol region. Anywhere from 2-6 inches could fall starting Sunday evening and into Monday morning.
OPM Director Scott Kupor wrote in a post on X:
…we are going to institute a 2-hour start delay for Monday and allow for unscheduled telework and leave. We think this will give folks some more flexibility in the am if the snow comes in as expected overnight. Because the temperatures are not nearly as cold as we saw in the last storm, we don’t think there is as much of a concern around serious icing that would mandate a full shutdown. Stay warm and stay safe!
OPM’s full announcement is included below.
Status: Open – 2 hours Delayed Arrival – With Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework
Applies to: Monday, February 23, 2026
Federal agencies in the Washington, DC area are Open under a 2 hour Delayed Arrival and employees have the Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework. Employees should plan to arrive for work no more than 2 hours later than they would normally be expected to arrive.
Employees Requesting Unscheduled Telework must be prepared to telework, take unscheduled leave or other paid time off, or a combination?thereby accounting for the entire workday. In general, weather and safety leave is not available to telework employees who do not report to the office.
Remote Workers and Telework Employees Scheduled to Telework are expected to begin their workday on time unless requesting unscheduled leave. In general, weather and safety leave is not available to remote and telework employees who do not report to the office.
Non-Telework Employees are expected to either report to the office and be granted weather and safety leave for up to XX hour(s) past their normal arrival time or request unscheduled leave for the entire workday. Weather and safety leave is not available to those employees requesting unscheduled leave.
Emergency Employees are expected to report to the worksite on time unless otherwise directed by their agencies.
Employees on Preapproved Leave (paid or unpaid) or other paid time off (e.g., compensatory time off, credit hours)?including an employee who requests unscheduled leave or other paid time off?generally should be charged leave or other paid time off and not receive weather and safety leave.
