Environment & Science

The Lehigh Valley stands alone as the only major climate site in the area with above-average snowfall this winter, but the pattern says winter could be just about over.

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

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission last week released a draft of its Priority Climate Action Plan, a document almost a year in the making aimed at tamping down the region’s carbon emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The National Weather Service issued the warning Saturday afternoon for parts of Lehigh and Northampton counties, extending into Carbon County.

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.

Five farms, three in Lehigh County and two in Northampton County, were the latest to be included in the commonwealth’s Farmland Preservation Program, along with more than a dozen others across the state.

Some areas reported almost 14 inches of snow, with flakes the size of cotton balls. Other areas got just a few inches. Said a National Weather Service meteorologist: 'I completely understand the shock factor.'

The Lehigh Valley is under a winter weather advisory in effect from 10 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, with a chance the snowfall that could overperform in parts of the region.

WLVR's Megan Frank talks with journalists Molly Bilinski and Phil Gianficaro.

Presidents Day weekend is approaching, and historically the period has been prime time for big storms. That won't be the case Friday, but a few inches of snow are possible in the Lehigh Valley.

It is the second time the township has been awarded trees through TreePennsylvania’s Bare Root Tree grant program. The statewide nonprofit supports urban and community forestry to increase tree coverage.

This week on Watching the Skies, learn how to spot several stars and bright celestial objects in the sky like Mars and Jupiter.

Almost 100 migrating birds of prey have been recorded since April 1, when this year’s count started. Officials at the sanctuary, as well as volunteers, have monitored the spring raptor migration since the 1960s.

Two Northampton County farms were the latest to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

Flooding from Hurricane Ida put the Saucon Creek retaining wall and nearby park pavilions out of commission in 2021. This year marks the first since then that the shelters will be up for rent again.

Crayola officials, along with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and local legislators, held an informational session Thursday on the company’s 3.53 megawatt solar farm.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor this month launched the Quest for the Golden Grabber. In its second year, it's an effort to engage community members in a friendly competition while cleaning litter from the trail.

There were 15 Diamond Clover awardees this year, including two from Lehigh County. The award is the highest in Pennsylvania's 4-H program.

Northampton County will use a mix of local money and a federal grant to buy 43 acres of undeveloped land in Stockertown, officials announced. Officials did not identify the parcel they intend to buy.

The African penguin colony, off exhibit since early January because of bird flu, is back at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

This week, a preview of confirmation hearings scheduled for Wednesday to confirm a new head for NASA. The nominee is well known to the Lehigh Valley.

City officials were ready in February to award a contract for a tree inventory in Allentown, but uncertainties caused by an order from President Donald Trump's administration forced them to pause that plan.