Environment & Science

Rain, strong winds and a severe weather threat have caused organizers of Bethlehem's Cherry Blossom Festival to postpone the event to Sunday.

Lehigh Valley residents might see low-flying planes over Blue Mountain through April 7 as efforts continue to remediate the Palmerton zinc pile superfund site.

Signs of spring are popping open around the Lehigh Valley, which means allergy season is here. The mild winter may play a role in how early and severe those allergies are.

Rodale Institute's board of directors announced Jeff Tkach, 43, of Lower Macungie Township, will serve as the nonprofit's new CEO. He'll take the helm of the Kutztown-based organic farming research and education organization starting April 21.

A chemical spill of a latex product late Friday in Bristol Township released contaminants into a Delaware River tributary, according to OEM officials.

The Lehigh Valley Zoo has three new African penguins, bringing its total colony to 14. As part of a species survival plan, zoo officials hope the birds will pair off a reproduce to bolster the endangered species.

Pennsylvania will again operate a water assistance program for low-income households behind in their water or wastewater bills, state officials announced last week.

With the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and federal Environmental Protection Agency at odds over the acceptable levels of 'forever chemicals' in public drinking water, it’s become an expensive and frustrating process for at least one Lehigh Valley municipality.

Spring arrives at 5:24 p.m. Monday and it will certainly feel like it for the first few days of the week, meteorologists say, with widespread sunshine and blue skies on tap.

The tornado that touched down Tuesday evening in Bangor has been categorized by the National Weather Service, according to a statement issued Wednesday. The agency estimated peak winds reached 80 to 90 mph with a path length of about 1.50 miles and a maximum path width of 100 yards.

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.