Environment & Science

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.

On Dec. 21 at approximately 10:27 p.m. EST, we’ll begin the winter solstice north of the equator. Will the change of season finally bring snow?

It might seem counterintuitive, but harvesting holiday trees year after year is better for the environment than using an artificial one, experts said, especially amid the proliferation of plastic piling up in landfills.

Officials on Wednesday reviewed several preliminary transportation policy strategies for the Valley's priority climate action plan. The plan’s focus is to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.

More than three dozen projects in the Valley were awarded grants, receiving about 7% of the total funding awarded. Statewide, $335 million in grants were announced Wednesday.

"Turn around, don't drown", warned a spokesperson for PennDOT. More than once today, people in the Valley have had to be rescued from their cars after driving into water that shut their engines off, trapping the drivers.

Some parts of the Lehigh Valley saw more than four inches of rain from Sunday into Monday, with precipitation still falling.

Schools are closing early and a large swath of the region is under a flood warning until at least 3:15 p.m. as the storm system that inundated the area overnight moves north.

ArtsQuest has a plan to keep people safe and hydrated as temperatures rise later this week. But once again, dodging storms on a couple of nights could be the weather headline of Musikfest 2024, says EPAWA meteorologist Bobby Martrich.

One of the best chances to ‘catch a falling star’ is the Perseid meteor shower. And the evening of Aug. 12 and early morning of Aug. 13 should be the peak night for this annual event.

“Noticing a haziness to the sky today? That is due to the smoke spreading into the region aloft from the wildfires in western North America,” the National Weather Service said on X.

PennFuture and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network earlier this month realized a win in their case against the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, or Transco, and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

North America’s smallest falcon is threatened due to habitat loss, as well as other factors. A conservation project at Waste Management's Grant Central Landfill near Pen Argyl seeks to boost conservation.

Weeks after a dam was removed from the Bushkill Creek in Easton as part of a years-long effort to improve stream health, officials continue to restore its banks. A stabilization project will close the bridge for several hours on weekdays over the next couple weeks.

Norfolk Southern responded to an investigation inquiry into the July 5 freight train derailment near the Hill-to-Hill Bridge in Bethlehem, chalking it up to human error.

The city was awarded the grant through the WalkWorks program. Officials now have $35,000 and a year to create an Active Transportation Plan aimed at bolstering connectivity across the city.

Dr. Jana Houser specializes in radar analysis of tornadoes and the supercell thunderstorms that produce them. She recently served as a consultant on "Twisters."

The National Weather Service warns the week has a good chance to be one of the wettest of the summer thus far, with the potential for showers and storms daily through Thursday.

A pair of women with a lengthy history connected to cows have joined up to create La Farm Girls, an Easton-based location where visitors can book sessions for cow cuddling.

Pluto is perfectly positioned in orbit this week. While it's too small for us to see even with a decent telescope, NASA has us covered.