The snowstorm that hit the East coast earlier this month spawned more than a series of quippy nicknames such as “Snowpocalypse” and “Snowmageddon.” The storm also prompted some columnists to think out loud about about how one might learn from being denied access to the workplace by Mother Nature.

USA Today puts a frown on it with a headline that calls out telecommuting for taking the fun out of snow days. Still, the piece itself shows a surprisingly open mind for your typical newspaper article, and even includes these two gems:

It showed just how seamlessly well-equipped workers can soldier on even through disruptions such as heavy snowstorms.

“Telework works with the right policy, procedures and process combined with IT. Then you wouldn’t have a problem,” says Chuck Wilsker, president and CEO of the Telework Coalition. “The burden is when you haven’t planned ahead.”

We would be surprised if anyone is going to argue against keeping their workforce well-equipped and well-prepared.

Joe Davidson’s Federal Diary at the Washington Post digs a little deeper into how the federal government is embracing telework. We were especially pleased to see this nod to the cultural obstacles facing non-traditional workers:

“The biggest barrier to teleworking is a cultural mind-set that believes if you are not physically there . . . you must be eating bonbons,” said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.).

We hope our readers in the D.C. area remember Mr. Connolly’s name. He just might be on to something.

Later in the piece there was more evidence that the world is coming around to the ROWE mind set:

One problem, says Max Stier, president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service, is the government doesn’t really know how to manage performance. “If you know what good work is and you can hold people accountable,” he said, “it shouldn’t matter if they are in eye or ear shot or at home or in the office.”

In a ROWE, what Mr. Stier is identifying as a problem ends up getting solved by the attitude he’s demonstrating in his quote. If you can identify what good work is, communicate expectations, and then hold people accountable then you ARE managing performance.

Finally, could weather be one of the reasons why the Results-Only Work Environment originated in Minnesota? We already know that the winters of the Upper Midwest teach us humility and the importance of dressing in layers, but maybe all this snow is teaching business lessons as well.