Environment & Science

People who stayed up late Sunday night were treated to an incredible display of the northern lights, which were visible in the Lehigh Valley.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe and several other eastern Pennsylvania counties.

Take a look at stories throughout the week of which we are most proud, had a profound impact on readers or that you might want to look at again.

Mayors in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are coming together to fight against worsening climate change and strengthen sustainability across the region. Two of the three cities have their own climate action plans.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, in the Lehigh Valley.

The first new building on Muhlenberg’s campus in more than a decade, the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., opened in January. The 20,000-square-foot, three-floor building cost $13.2 million and is one of the first buildings in the world expected to achieve a rigorous sustainability certification for buildings that give more than they take.

A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible in the region on Saturday, with the main threat being damaging wind gusts, according to the National Weather Service.

Puerto Rico's electrical grid has been devastated by hurricanes due to worsening climate change. Ruth Santiago, a Bethlehem native, has a solution.

Swarms of non-biting midge flies last week were spotted in Bethlehem. LehighValleyNews.com spoke with Marten Edwards, chair of Muhlenberg College's biology department, to find out more about the insects.

After Easton Space Fest was canceled due to weather in 2019, the organizers are coming back with something even bigger for the spring.

The World Health organization is changing the name of monkeypox. The current name is thought to be both racist and stigmatizing.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will host guided hikes in state parks and forests on Jan. 1. Lehigh Valley hikers may want to head to Jacobsburg State Park for a walk through Henry's Woods.

Public health officials want more Americans to get the latest COVID vaccine booster. Only 35% of people over 65 have gotten the shot, though 75% of COVID deaths are among people in this age group.

The region saw a temperature swing of nearly 50 degrees in less than 24 hours

Plans are in the works for flower CSAs — Community Supported Agriculture — subscriptions that will bring joy and color to 2023. Here's how you can sign up, and bring the fragrant anticipation of the blooms to come.

The appearance of a massive, rotating ice circle caught the attention of a city resident who captured drone video near Groundhog Lock along the Delaware Canal in Raubsville, south of Easton.

The extreme weather stretched from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians.

The National Weather Service says temperatures won't get out of the 20s again Monday. But the Lehigh Valley will see significant changes by the middle of the week.

Thousands in the Lehigh Valley and nearby remain without power as PPL sets up resource centers for those impacted

Will it snow next week? How about the week after? Weather enthusiasts are constantly hanging on "one model run in a sea of model runs," making the job of the local meteorologist even more difficult in trying to convey the forecast.

The region could see wind chills as low as -15 degrees overnight as temperatures rapidly fall. The expected high winds could lead to power outages due to falling branches. PPL says it has 2,000 workers ready to respond.