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.

When all was said and done, May was the Lehigh Valley’s sixth consecutive warmer-than-normal month, with an average temperature of 63.4 degrees – or 1.4 degrees above normal. So what will summer bring?

Voyager 1 is now the furthest man-made object from Earth, having traveled to a distance of around 15 billion miles away.

During this year’s spring migration count, which runs from April 1 through mid-May, Hawk Mountain volunteers and staff tallied 1,001 birds of prey.

East Penn School District is seeking proposals for a potential solar farm near the Macungie and Shoemaker Elementary School buildings.

Northampton County Park and Recreation Division will host the Greenways Jamboree Celebration, marking their 50th anniversary, in tandem with the 20th anniversary of the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape Partnership and the 28th Annual Lehigh River Sojourn.

Three Lehigh Valley researchers are arguing bird-strike fatalities are much higher than we might think. They recently published a peer-reviewed study showing bird deaths from window strikes are nearly double previous estimates, and likely higher.

The colleges have formed a partnership to build and bring online a solar facility in western Kentucky. When completed, the facility will offset electricity usage at the institutions, effectively reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation to zero.

The main threat will come later Monday and Monday night with a cold front that creates the possibility of strong winds and hail – even a tornado, said meteorologist Bobby Martrich of EPAWA Weather Consulting.

Essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science, the annual Envirothon combines classroom learning and outdoor activities to engage students in the environment. The state competition was held Wednesday at Camp Mt. Luther in Mifflinburg.

As residents and tourists explore the region’s many parks, bike trails and scenic overlooks — May is recognized as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month — health and environmental officials are cautioning visitors to check for ticks after their outdoor adventures.

A first-quarter log documents over 160 complaints from addresses in Lower Saucon, Hellertown, Freemansburg, Bethlehem Township and the outskirts of Easton. Landfill operators say they're responding.

A turbulent morning of storms brought significant damage to parts of the Lehigh Valley on Thursday, with estimated wind speeds of 60 to 70 mph, meteorologists confirmed.