Decision to close D.C. offices came late for some workers

The federal government closed its doors in the Washington, D.C. area Tuesday-but only after many employees had already started their journey to the office.

At 4:45 a.m., the Office of Personnel Management decided to keep the government open but allow employees to take unscheduled leave if they couldn't make it into the office. Before making a decision on whether to close federal offices, OPM consults with local government officials, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the National Weather Service.

As of 5 a.m., local weather forecasters predicted six to 12 inches of snow in and around the nation's capital.

Conditions in the Washington area deteriorated as the workday neared, and at 7 a.m., during another call with local authorities and meteorologists, OPM decided to close federal agencies.

Shortly after 7:30 a.m., a passenger boarded a Metro train in downtown Washington and informed bundled-up commuters that the federal government had rescinded its unscheduled leave decision and closed, eliciting groans from several other passengers. Several employees at one federal office chose not to turn around and go home, instead opting to put some time in to make the trip worthwhile.

Because the government closed, workers in the Washington area will not be charged for leave on Tuesday.

An OPM spokesman said shutting down the federal government in the Washington area for a day costs Uncle Sam $60 million in lost productivity.

"We keep in mind that it does cost that amount of money, but the bottom line is the safety of our employees," the spokesman said.

OPM updates the status of federal offices in the Washington area on its Web site at www.opm.gov/weather.