Environment & Science

The weekend storm threat would be the area’s first significant snowfall in years, but forecasters say we have a long way to go to determine the final impacts.

From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, college officials are opening up the Fahy Commons for Public Engagement and Innovation, 2400 W. Chew St., for residents and community members to explore.

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.

Easton's Environmental Advisory Council voted unanimously to draft and send a letter opposing the Easton Commerce Park to the city’s planning commission. The project is slated to go before the commission Wednesday.

Even with several days of rain, the Lehigh Valley remains well below average in long term levels of precipitation. Here's how the rest of the month could shape up.

Videos posted to the Facebook group Slate Belt Chatter show a funnel cloud rotating and descending toward the ground. The weather service said a storm damage assessment will be conducted and more details provided later in the week.

Projects ranged from initiatives aimed at lowering food waste to renewable energy. When complete, the city will be the third of the Lehigh Valley’s major cities to publish a climate action plan.

The annual Envirothon is essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science. Two Lehigh Valley teams have advanced to the state competition.

The so-called "morning star" is brightly visible for the remainder of spring, and easy to spot in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

The tool and seed library at Bethlehem Area Public Library's South Side branch, 400 Webster St., includes free seeds for all. Patrons can check out tools for a week with a library card.

“An isolated tornado is not entirely out of the question," the National Weather Service said of Saturday's threat. But non-English speakers may not be aware of warnings for severe weather.

The Dorothy Rider Pool Wildlife Sanctuary is closed to the public following a Tuesday bridge collapse. Wildlands Conservancy has launched a website where updates will be posted.

Excessive rainfall during drought can trigger flash flooding, forecasters say. The concern is that prolonged dry conditions can make the soil hydrophobic, meaning it repels water.

Terry Hart, of Lower Saucon Township, is a NASA astronaut who flew aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1984. Today he's a professor in Lehigh University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, mentoring a new generation heading into the field of science and technology.

Led by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Sustainable Energy Fund, The Lehigh Valley Sustainability Summit drew economic and industry leaders from across the region to engage on topics like waste reduction, energy and economic growth.