That snow and ice you've been hating all winter could mean better beaches and fewer bugs this summer.

"It actually does have some real benefits," Harry Leslie, operations manager at Presque Isle State Park, said.

A record-setting season has kept Erie-area residents bundled up in winter wear and busy shoveling.

But the frigid, precipitation-heavy conditions can be a boon for the outdoors we enjoy once the weather warms.

Ice and snow can protect parts of the environment, possibly deter invasive species and even create more recreational opportunities for humans.

Leslie said the ice came early and thick to the peninsula this year, helping protect the park from wave erosion.

The beautiful ice dunes that form along the shore are good at preventing the beaches from losing sand.

But, Leslie cautioned that while helpful, the hollow ice dunes are dangerous to climb on.

The snow that's also been piling up on shore is good news because Leslie said it stops sand from being blown away by the wind.

"Complete snow cover has been a real blessing," he said.

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Erie's cold, snowy winter could be a 'blessing'