Environment & Science

Downed trees and power outages were the result of a powerful storm that pounded the Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night.

In an update Thursday morning, PPL said crews saw significant damage from downed trees and limbs that caused more than 1,000 individual damage locations. Since the storm, it has restored power for more than 85,000 customers.

A severe thunderstorm brought wind gusts approaching 60 mph, heavy rain and hail to Lehigh and Northampton counties early Wednesday night. Utility companies reported thousands in the dark.

Another day of sweltering temperatures will transition to a night of severe weather across the region, and concern has shifted to timing on when storms are expected to fire.

Near unrelenting heat has become a reality in the Lehigh Valley to kick off summer, putting the area at risk for rapid onset drought — a term that’s part of a new outlook issued by the Climate Prediction Center.

Another surge of heat and humidity is on the way for the Lehigh Valley, with the possibility that severe storms could rattle the region on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

Venus, the planet: Morning star, evening star, or just being itself?

The severe thunderstorm watch comes amid a heat wave that looks to break Monday as a cooler air mass mercifully moves into the region Sunday night.

Excessive heat warnings have been posted in parts of the northeastern U.S. with heat indices of 105 to 110 degrees. Forecasters issued an excessive heat warning for southeastern Pennsylvania. As for Saturday, we're expected to hit a high of 96 in the Lehigh Valley.

One trick is to be sure to water plants at the base — not the leaves — to ensure the roots absorb the water. "Everybody waters the plant, but you need to water the soil," says one nursery manager.

The results of the 2023 citywide greenhouse gas inventory are in. The project was part of Penn State’s Local Climate Action Program.

Allentown has secured a $100,000 grant to continue participating in the Youth Climate Action Fund for 2025, supporting youth-led projects focused on climate change awareness, mitigation, and sustainability, while aligning with the city’s upcoming Climate Action Plan.

The National Weather Service issued the bulletin in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday for freezing rain, with total ice accumulations up to a tenth of an inch possible.

Projects in Wilson and Easton will receive $225,000 in funding to support trails, parks, recreation and watershed initiatives.

Food & Water Watch on Tuesday held a rally outside Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s city office in defense of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. A Republican congressman earlier this month introduced a joint resolution to repeal it.

Applications are open for the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Funding supports projects to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces and protect vital natural habitats.

A farm in Lehigh County has tested positive for HPIA, according to a news release Monday from the state Department of Agriculture. A response team is in place and the farm has been quarantined, officials said.

This week, WLVR's Brad Klein explore The Pleiades, a prominent winter asterism, or group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky.

State officials announced the theme for this year’s annual tick-themed art contest, “Protect. Check. Remove.” Last year, there were no winners in the Lehigh Valley.

A cold snap that sent temperatures near historic lows brought record winter demand for electricity across numerous regional grids and service territories, including the Lehigh Valley.

Emmaus is one step closer to remediating two of its PFAS-contaminated wells. PFAS are also called "forever chemicals" because they are slow to breakdown in the environment and are linked to a variety of health issues.

Bird flu has arrived in the Lehigh Valley, contributing to the deaths of about 5,000 migrating snow geese at sites Lehigh and Northampton counties.