Timing was everything in Wednesday’s New Year’s Eve snowstorm.Local public works officials say traffic wasn’t as much of a problem for plow drivers as usual during a weekday storm because many people stayed off the roads in the afternoon.Traffic was congested shortly after the first flakes fell around 11 a.m. but largely subsided by mid-afternoon as many people had already taken the day off work or left early.The National Weather Service reported early Wednesday night Nahant got 6 inches, Saugus got 7, Marblehead got 5.5 and Peabody got 5.Lynn Department of Public Works Director Jay Fink said three DPW inspectors handed out several tickets and warnings to people shoveling or blowing snow directly into the street. Despite it being a common practice, pushing snow into the street is illegal.”In most cases they’ve given warnings but in some cases it’s been so flagrant that we’ve given them tickets,” Fink said.Fink said 215 pieces of snow removal equipment and 400 tons of salt was used to keep the roads clear.”We’re trying to take as much snow off the street as we can before the temperatures drop,” he said Wednesday night.The next worry is where the DPW will get more money if its snow removal budget runs out. Fink said just under $800,000 is budgeted for this season and between $450,000 and $500,000 has been used.”The average snowfall is 42 inches a year and we’ve already seen half of that,” Fink said.Saugus DPW Director Joe Attubato said early Wednesday night no major problems arose for the 60 or so crews, most of whom are contractors, that cleared town streets.”We’re holding our own,” Attubato said. “We got the main streets under control right now.”Like Lynn, Attubato said Saugus’ snow removal budget is likely in the red, but didn’t have the exact numbers Wednesday.”We had $100,000 to start out with and I’m sure that’s gone already,” he said.