Environment & Science

While Monday will bring mostly sunny skies and dry weather to the region, meteorologists are tracking a series of storms that will make for a mostly soggy week in the Lehigh Valley — with a question of wintry weather by week's end.

A pattern change known as the "Greenland Block" could introduce cold air — and perhaps wintry weather — into the region by mid-December, meteorologists say. But what is the pattern and why could it bring snow?

Two seafood monitoring groups downgraded Maine lobster's sustainability ratings, prompting Whole Foods to pause purchases. Here's how environmental groups and state leaders are reacting.

Shopping not your thing? #OptOutside and join the movement started by specialty outdoor retailer REI in 2015 as a way to encourage people to reconnect with nature. We've got a list of places to check out across the Lehigh Valley.

Local officials warn residents never to pour fats, oils and grease (FOG), into the sink because it can harden and cause blockages in pipes.

Lafayette Junior Remy Oktay flew a Pipistrel Alpha Electro about 500 feet above Fisher Stadium on Saturday.

Animal response workers cared for up to 5 dogs and a cat at Nitschmann Middle School as they sheltered with their people.

A hot, dry July this year slashed yields for many Lehigh Valley farmers this year, just as prices for fertilizer hit all-time highs. Now, Northampton County is offering help them implement new practices that could let them use less.

The Lehigh Valley had its first taste of snow on Tuesday, and the National Weather Service says temperatures will run 10 to 15 degrees below normal through the weekend.

The official start of winter comes Wednesday, Dec. 21. But snow could fly in the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, with a winter weather advisory to our north.

The box tree moth, a highly destructive, invasive insect, was discovered for the first time in Pennsylvania, in two cemeteries in Erie County. A quarantine has been issued.

The “Stanley Jr. Kids Wheelbarrow and 7-piece Garden Set" has been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission after the paint on the hoe and rake were found to contain lead levels exceeding the federal content ban.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week, they look ahead to the Autumnal Equinox.

SpaceX’s capsule Polaris Dawn splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico in the predawn darkness early Sunday. Returning to Earth were two SpaceX engineers, a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman of the Lehigh Valley. Isaacman became only the 264th person to perform a spacewalk.

A Lehigh University graduate last year recorded a new species of mushroom at Wildlands Conservancy's South Mountain Preserve.

Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate through the Lehigh Valley. An annual tagging program, held at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, helps conservation efforts.

Called the Recovery in Nature initiative, two state departments have joined forces to create regional-specific partnerships to bolster substance use recovery efforts while strengthening all residents’ connection to nature.

While Tropical Storm Francine and its remnants will not be moving this way, it will play a role in the Lehigh Valley’s weather pattern for the next few days.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its report of the most challenging places to live with asthma. The release coincides with peak asthma season in September.

Early Tuesday, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has a home in the Lehigh Valley, launched into space for a second time as part of a mission dubbed Polaris Dawn. The launch was visible in the area.

Awardees of the state Department of Education’s Environmental Repairs Grant program were announced Monday. It focuses on eliminating lead, mold, asbestos and other environmental hazards from school buildings.

Brad Klein reviews the week’s astronomical highlights with Bethlehem’s ‘Backyard Astronomy Guy,’ Marty McGuire. This week should be a good one for viewing the planet Saturn.