Even Congress has snow days.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's office is opening two hours late today to allow workers time to get in, as several inches of snow are blanketing the nation's capital.

Update: The delay is decided by the Office of Property Management, says a spokesman for U.S. Rep. David Price.

Gov. Beverly Perdue made what might serve as the first of her promised surprise inspections of state offices and installations.

Perdue made an unannounced stop at the Department of Transportation maintenance yard on Blue Ridge Road around 9 a.m. to thank the salt truck and snowplow drivers who were clearing the roads. Only a few truck drivers were around, but Perdue was able to extend her thanks for their work overnight.

During her campaign, Perdue promised to make surprise visits to agencies and offices around the state, but spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson said Tuesday's visit may not quite qualify.

"She was more interested in speaking to the folks who had spent overnight hours working," Pearson said.

State agencies remained open today, but many workers did not show up for work.

State policy asks that employees make a “good faith effort” to get into work but otherwise can use vacation time, unpaid leave or make up the day later, reports Mark Johnson.

Gov. Beverly Perdue declared a state of emergency today as a winter storm dumped nearly a half-foot of snow across the state, more in some spots, shuttering schools and turning roads into slushy skid zones.

The order enables Perdue to deploy additional resources to help the state cope with the storm. The state’s emergency operations center in Raleigh was activated this morning to aid local governments, reports Mark Johnson.

“The storm’s largest impact this morning is primarily to North Carolina’s roads,” Perdue said in a prepared statement, “and I urge citizens who do not have to drive to stay at home today.”

The N.C. Highway Patrol reported dozens of accidents, particularly in the Triangle and Triad areas. Additional troopers were called in today. Many highways are partly covered in snow, and secondary roads are covered, officials warned.

The N.C. Department of Transportation trucks dumped tons of salt on roads that were sprayed with anti-icing solution the night before.

“Our preparations are working,” Perdue said, “but motorists need to do their part, too.”

Snowfall began before dawn, and as the powder piled up, government meetings were cancelled and stores closed. Division of Motor Vehicles offices planned a 2 p.m. closing and, on Wednesday, a 10 a.m. opening.

Gov. Beverly Perdue is even helping out with the snow.

Jack Betts, on his blog, notes that he saw Perdue on television today visiting the DOT crews who were out spreading salt and plowing roads.

Betts notes that it's not unusual to see governors out and about when a hurricane hits, but it is odd to see one out with the snow plows.

Being a hands-on, on-site manager was a promise of Gov. Bev. Perdue's election campaign, and she and her Secretary of Transportation, Eugene Conti, were out and about talking to the DOT troops this morning. It seems as though we've seen more of the governor in the 10 days she's been in office than we saw of her predecessor over the last year, though that's surely not the case. Still, the new governor seems to relish public appearances in a way that Mike Easley never did.