The winter of 2024 is more than half over and officials in New York are already getting plans going for the summer. If you go to the beach this summer, look up, you might see a life saving drone in action.

The winters are tough here in New York State. The snow and cold take a toll on all of us. Although this winter has been more mild than average, the on again, off again winter weather can be draining. But the summers here in the Empire State can be amazing and there are plenty of great beaches to enjoy.

The beaches in New York City will have a new tool when it comes to keeping swimmers safe. There are reports that drones will help to assist life guards when people are having trouble in the water.

New York City Police explains they'll control the drones remotely from 1 Police Plaza, flying them up and down beaches, with the ability to communicate with lifeguards through a speaker.

Mayor Eric Adams says they will likely be deployed in Coney Island first.

NewsMax.com reports:

The NYPD did not specify how many drones it would be utilizing, or how NYPD would coordinate with the Parks Department that oversees professional lifeguards.

The forecast is calling for some colder air to make a brief return this weekend followed by another warm up. February is going to end as one of the warmest on record. Summer will be here before we know it!

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

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