Messy driveways and roads aren't the only hazards the record snowfalls in the Northeast have brought this year.

A record fifth snowstorm since Christmas blanketed the Northeast last week, burying everyplace from the Carolinas to the coast of Maine, but the winter wonderland hasn't been pretty for city and state budgets. New York City, Boston, New Jersey and Connecticut all have used up, or almost used up, their annual storm budgets, and it’s only Feb. 1.

New York City, which already has seen 40 inches of snow since Christmas, has blown through its $38 million storm budget. Boston has spent two-thirds of its $16 million snow budget, while Connecticut already is $150,000 over its storm budget. Southeast states which don’t even have snow removal budgets have already felt the pinch.

Because of the snow, North Carolina already is $4 million over its state budget, and Georgia also is over budget for snow, much of it for Atlanta.

Residents of New Jersey, which already is over its snow budget, are getting out of this pickle by using pickle juice instead of melting salt to clear roads and driveways. A gallon of pickle juice costs about $16, as opposed to melting salt, which costs about $63 for the same amount.

New York Storm New Jersey New Jersey