Environment & Science

The James Webb Space Telescope, launched on Christmas 2021, orbits the Sun about a million miles outside Earth’s orbit. It is the most powerful, largest, and most complex telescope ever made.

This New Year’s Day, tens of thousands of people across the country, including dozens in the Valley, will take a guided hike through a state park to mark the beginning of 2024.

December 2023 is now the wettest December on record in the Lehigh Valley, with a total of 8.17 inches of rainfall recorded as of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. The high water mark was set during a day of record rain for Dec. 27.

The ski slopes just southeast of Lehigh County announced it would shut down at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, awaiting colder weather to make snow

With a forecast projecting 1 to 1.5 inches of rain possible this week, the Lehigh Valley will move closer to its wettest December ever.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg passed nearly three dozen laws last week in a final burst of action as they held their last voting session of the year.

Look for the full moon on Wednesday, Dec. 27

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

On Dec. 21 at approximately 10:27 p.m. EST, we’ll begin the winter solstice north of the equator. Will the change of season finally bring snow?

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Two shad ladders in the Lehigh Valley, at the Easton and Chain dams, haven't been working as intended. Efforts to restore this migrating fish system have stalled.

The first Lehigh Valley Space Fest started Saturday. Hosted at Paxinosa Elementary School, organizers aim to inspire children and young adults to be interested in science and space topics.

A team of Emmaus High School students placed first in the Lehigh County Conservation District’s Envirothon the last week of April.

No, those weren’t UFOs spotted over the Lehigh Valley on Thursday night. Starlink internet satellites orbiting Earth were visible to skywatchers in the area.

WLVR’s Brad Klein speaks with Environment & Science Reporter, Molly Bilinski about her work reporting on the Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington.

Easton's branch of the American Association of University Women is holding its annual Girls Recognition Night Thursday at the Nurture Nature Center. Seventh graders from Easton, Wilson, Nazareth and Bangor area middle schools will be honored.

Neither snow, nor sleet, nor hail. There's frozen precipitation in the Lehigh Valley forecast on Wednesday — it's called graupel.

The Easton Environmental Advisory Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to send a letter to city council and Lafayette College outlining their concerns after more than 40 trees were cleared.

Borough council on Monday night heard a presentation on options to mitigate PFAS in its residential drinking supply. None of the proposals are cheap.

On Sunday, a counterclockwise-spinning low pressure system was moving up the coast. The Lehigh Valley was on the western side of the low, which meant heavy rainfall.

The Slatington-based nonprofit promotes conservation through education, research and outdoor recreation for all. Through that work, the landscape has radically changed for the better, making the Lehigh Valley a greener place.

Hundreds of power outages were reported across the Lehigh Valley early Monday following heavy rains. At least 2.35 inches fell at the airport.