Washington Monument closes due to strong winds

The Washington Monument closed on Sunday because of high winds, the National Mall National Park Service (NPS) announced on social media.

The NPS later clarified that the monument itself was not at risk but that it was closing to make sure visitors were not standing in line for a prolonged period during that weather.

“That’s correct. The Monument is not in any danger,” the NPS wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to an X user’s question. “But holding people in lines at the entry door in high wind conditions is against our operations policy.”

A wind advisory for the Washington area was issued on Sunday, with winds at 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 55 mph.

This is not the first time the monument had to close as a result of bad weather.

In 2021, the Washington Monument was struck by lightning as thunderstorms moved across the region, damaging the electrical system.