Severe Winter Storm Halts In-Person Federal Operations in Washington D.C.
Washington D.C., Sunday, 25 January 2026.
A severe storm closes D.C. federal offices Monday, triggering maximum telework protocols just weeks after the administration mandated a full-time return to in-person duties.
Operational Halt Amidst Severe Weather
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has directed federal agencies in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to close their physical offices on Monday, January 26, 2026, in response to a severe winter storm forecast to disrupt the region. OPM Director Scott Kupor finalized the decision on Friday, January 23, announcing that while physical locations will shutter, the federal machinery will not come to a complete standstill [1][7]. Under the current operating status, emergency employees are required to report to their worksites unless otherwise directed, while non-emergency employees eligible for telework will continue their duties remotely [1][7]. Those ineligible for telework have been granted weather and safety leave for the duration of the closure [1].
Policy Tension: Return-to-Office Mandates vs. Remote Necessity
This weather-induced pivot to remote operations creates a notable friction with the Trump administration’s recent workforce policies. Just weeks prior, in January 2025, the administration implemented a mandate requiring federal employees to return to the office full-time [1]. Furthermore, the administration eliminated the Federal Executive Boards (FEBs) in April 2025, bodies that previously coordinated such weather-related closures and inter-agency responses [1]. Consequently, the burden of maintaining government continuity on Monday falls heavily on telework infrastructure, despite the executive branch’s recent moves to curtail remote work arrangements.
Workforce Data and Eligibility
The reliance on digital connectivity for Monday’s operations is underscored by recent data from OPM’s fiscal year 2025 telework report, issued to Congress in December 2025 [1]. The report indicates that in 2024, approximately 1.3 million federal employees were eligible to telework, representing 53% of the workforce [1]. This figure reflects a decline in eligibility, calculated as a 2.2 percent decrease from 2023 levels [1]. Of those eligible, 1 million employees, or 40%, participated in some form of telework during that period [1]. These statistics highlight the scale of the workforce shifting to home offices this Monday, testing the resilience of federal operations under the new maximum telework order [1].
Regional Emergency Declarations and Forecasts
Beyond the federal workforce, the storm has triggered significant emergency responses across the Capital region. President Trump has approved Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance for Virginia, a move announced by the agency on Saturday, January 24, 2026 [2]. This follows a state of emergency declaration by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, who mobilized state agencies ahead of the storm [2]. The National Weather Service forecasts are severe, predicting between 17.8 and 35.6 cm of snow and sleet for the region, with areas in Loudoun and Fauquier counties potentially seeing up to 45.7 cm [2]. The combination of heavy snow and freezing rain poses risks of power outages and impossible travel conditions, prompting OPM’s preemptive closure to ensure safety [1][2].