Environment & Science

With spring still weeks away, state forest officials are gearing up for this year’s spongy moth hatch. Here's what Lehigh Valley residents need to know.

While many customers are waiting for their power to be restored after the wind storm in the Lehigh Valley, estimated repair times are putting some areas on a longer waitlist. Check out the logic behind those estimates and what they really mean.

An "all-day rain type of event" Saturday will serve as an advertisement for the Lehigh Valley's weather in the long-term. The front half of March in a word is "wet."

A half-dozen city leaders and environmental advocates highlighted the economic, environmental and public health benefits the implementation of clean truck standards could reap across the Valley.

PPL said Wednesday it has hundreds of workers “ready to work around the clock to help get customers back online as safely and efficiently as we can." There were thousands in the dark early Thursday.

The chemical odor at Sharp Packaging Solutions that sent 54 employees to the hospital on Friday remains a mystery.

A wind advisory is in effect from 4 p.m. Wednesday until 4 a.m. Thursday, with northwest winds 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 40 to 50 mph expected. PPL said its ready to respond.

It's going to be a wild and windy few days for the Lehigh Valley and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region, forecasters say, with temperatures set to soar before a strong cold front arrives.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s "Backyard Astronomy Guy," Marty McGuire.

Temperatures will be a roller coaster this week, with Sunday's seasonably cool air giving way to a few days of spring-like temperatures but with a chance of rain.

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.