Freezing-rain advisory leads to delay in opening of federal offices The federal government will delay opening its facilities in the Washington area Monday until 11 a.m., citing the icy conditions that are expected. In announcing the delay, the Office of Personnel Management recommended that federal employees stay off the roads until 9 a.m. Employees who commute to work will be granted excused absences, the OPM said in its announcement Sunday evening. Emergency employees are expected on time, OPM said. In response, Metro said it would operate an expanded morning rush-hour service on its bus and rail lines to accommodate those going to work later than usual. OPM and Metro acted as the National Weather Service issued a freezing-rain advisory for much of the Washington region, to remain in force through rush hour Monday morning. It said freezing rain and freezing drizzle could produce accumulations ranging from a trace to about one-tenth of an inch, which could cause travel difficulties. In the advisory, issued shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday, the Weather Service also said sidewalks and untreated surfaces would turn slippery. Although snow is widely regarded as Washington's major winter traffic hazard, ice and freezing rain impede mobility even more severely. On Jan. 26, a combination of ice, snow and early dismissals clogged slippery roads, creating what has been described as one of the most severe traffic snarls in the region's history. That led to a rethinking of the government's snow plans. "Freezing rain is the absolute worst," read a comment posted Sunday evening on The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang site. Every nightmare commute I've endured has involved freezing rain/black ice. I'm working from home. In a message labeled "urgent," the Weather Service advised motorists to "slow down and use caution."