Environment & Science

Bethlehem residents may soon be able to get permits to keep backyard chickens. Two committees agreed the concept is a good one, but some officials still worry about the spread of avian disease and other issues.

A high school in Allentown was designated a K-12 Tree Campus and hoisted a new flag in celebration.

Amid a changing weather pattern, the Lehigh Valley is under a freeze warning Tuesday into Wednesday. Is this wintry feel a sign of things to come?

A bear was seen in a backyard in Palmer Township Saturday.

Lehigh Valley's 'Spooktacular' Hot Air Balloon festival is on Friday through Sunday and there's a lot more going on than just balloons

Monkeypox is getting a name change in parts of the country, but the change has not made its way to the Lehigh Valley yet. New York City’s health department recently announced it now will refer to the infectious viral disease as MPV.

The Lehigh Valley's fall cooldown came right on schedule, said Ryan Reed, a specialist at the state Bureau of Forestry. “Cold and dry are two of the best stimuli to bring on great fall colors.”

Two Allentown doctors who helped treat more than a dozen carbon monoxide-poisoned kids in are now sharing the story.

The spray drying services company is required to submit a detailed corrective action plan 15 days from the date of the letter, Oct. 4, explaining why the violations occurred and how they will be prevented in the future.

Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds announced that the city will conduct a feasibility study for a new South Bethlehem Community Center.

Depending on cloud cover, the Lehigh Valley could see a lunar eclipse between midnight on March 13 through early morning March 14. A solar eclipse could peak just after midnight on March 29.

“It doesn’t matter what amount it is, it’s still treacherous on area roadways,” EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich said in his latest video update.

Temperatures will drop below freezing across the area late Friday night and early Saturday, likely setting the stage for a period of freezing rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Administered by Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, or POWR, with funding from the DCNR, officials said the effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

With temperatures in the 20s overnight, snow is expected for the southern Poconos, northern New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley, though accumulations should generally be less than one inch.

It will get warmer and closer to normal as the week progresses, but for now, the National Weather Service recommends folks bundle up as an arctic air mass from Canada and the Great Lakes moves in.

The longest running raptor migration count in the world wrapped up for the 2024 season. Staff and volunteers spent more than 1,000 hours recording species as part of Hawk Mountain's conservation efforts.

It is humanity's first-ever mission into the part of the sun’s upper atmosphere known as the corona.

A complex storm system forecasters said could overperform did that and more in the Lehigh Valley on Friday night, as snow totals doubled initial forecasts in some areas.

Join Megan Frank at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. every Friday for Insights with LehighValleyNews.com on WLVR. This week, Brittany Sweeney takes her place with environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski and arts and culture reporter Micaela Hood.

How much snow can we expect Friday? Forecasters say the complex weather system taking aim at the region has resulted in "a difficult and challenging forecast" for the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.

Despite the drought, Christmas tree farms in the Lehigh Valley were able to make it through a pretty solid season. Check out how the past few weeks panned out for the owners, what types of tree were most popular, and how to keep them alive longer.