Winter Storm Closes Government Early
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James Joyner | Thursday, February 24, 2005 |
Winter Storm Prompts Area Closings (WaPo)
The federal government said today it would dismiss employees two hours early as a lackluster but nonetheless stubborn mixture of snow and sleet continued across the Washington region. The snowfall — which the National Weather Service says could total four to seven inches by midnight tonight — could complicate the home-bound commute as dropping road temperatures and continuing precipitation make highways more slippery than they were for the trip in this morning.
All major Washington area school systems declared themselves closed this morning after the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning lasting until 1 a.m. Friday.
The federal government, which had warned earlier that it would consider early dismissal, acted at about 1:15 p.m. Early dismissal means employees can leave two hours earlier than they normally leave. Traditionally, that has led to an early and unpredictable start to the region’s rush hour and occasionally a chain reaction, in which other employees leave early in order to beat the early-departing federal workforce.
Since I work for the federal government as a contractor, and my agency is closing early, I’m headed out, too. The Traffic Jam is partly composed and will likely appear on schedule.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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Any way it can be blamed on Gingrich?
I'm sitting out on my porch right now in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.....so glad I moved from DC to Florida.
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