Federal Offices in Washington Close at 1 p.m. Over Winter Storm

The Lincoln Memorial (L), Washington Monument (C) and US Capitol (R) are seen on the National Mall above Washington on Oct. 17, 2012. (AFP/Saul Loeb/Getty Images)

Federal offices in Washington closed at 1 p.m. ET due to an expected winter storm on Tuesday, said the Office of Personnel Management in an alert.

All employees are required to leave their offices four hours before their normal departure time and can leave no later than 1 p.m., the office said on its website.

“Employees of Federal offices in the Washington, DC area are authorized for early departure. Employees should depart 4 hours earlier than their normal departure time and may request UNSCHEDULED LEAVE to depart prior to their staggered departure time. All employees MUST DEPART at no later than 1:00 pm at which time FEDERAL OFFICES are CLOSED,” its website says.

The National Weather Service's local office is forecasting "rain and snow, becoming all snow after 3 p.m." before adding that the "snow could be heavy at times." (NWS)

It says: “Emergency employees are expected to remain at their worksite unless otherwise directed by their agencies.”

According to local station WJLA, a mix of rain, sleet, and snow will hit the area during the afternoon. Several school systems were closed for the day or closed early, and Smithsonian museums are closing at 3 p.m.

The National Weather Service’s local office is forecasting “rain and snow, becoming all snow after 3 p.m.” before adding that the “snow could be heavy at times.”

It added: “Total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.” Another half-inch of snow is possible overnight, the NWS said.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is slated to arrive at the White House to meet with President Donald Trump later in the afternoon.