Environment & Science

The commonwealth's six-week leaf-peeping season has begun. Here's when in the Lehigh Valley can expect peak colors, as well as some of the best places to see fall foliage.

Lehigh Valley Breathes is a Valley-wide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. The project is expected to run for a year.

Remember Ophelia? The tropical system that recently brought days of dreary weather to the Lehigh Valley is back. Sort of.

A local initiative to develop a sustainable farm food infrastructure was instrumental in Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding choosing to appear in Easton to announce the theme for the 2024 state Farm Show in Harrisburg.

A new tool announced Tuesday lets Bethlehem Township residents report flooding and other stormwater issues which are common in the township.

Wildlands Conservancy bought the Carbon County land, which included a Lehigh River tributary, transferring ownership to the state Game Commission. Advocates aim to ward off development and protect the health of the river.

A community healing garden is now open to patients and the public at Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg. Peter Yenawine, along with the Auxiliary of Lehigh Valley Hospital and master gardeners, teamed up to create the space incorporating native and medicinal plants.

The remnants of Ophelia will drift slowly southward and offshore through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said, bringing a raw start to the week for the Lehigh Valley.

In a recent national report, Pennsylvania received a failing grade in its regulation and treatment of lead in schools’ water. Six local schools have reported unacceptable levels of lead since 2018, and one expert says some of the remediation methods they used are less than perfect.

No longer a tropical storm, the remnants of Ophelia will have an impact on the Lehigh Valley weather at least into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Expect showers throughout Sunday.

Twenty-seven city restaurants and eateries have so far responded to a single-use plastics survey.

As the system moves off the Carolina coast and begins to strengthen and lift northward, impacts farther inland — particularly in the Lehigh Valley — are not expected to be overly hazardous.

Martin Guitar welcomed guests from across the music industry to talk about protecting the environment at its first Sustainability Summit on Thursday.

Veronika Vostinak, Allentown's sustainability coordinator, on Wednesday gave a hourlong presentation to the Lehigh Valley Environmental Advisory Council Network on her experience with plastic reduction efforts, targeting single-use foodwares and reusables for dine-in.

While a full report is expected next year, researchers behind Lehigh Valley Breathes have released a data analysis, which includes three comparisons looking at fine particulate pollution across eight monitoring locations.

The Environmental Advisory Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to send City Council a letter stating the EAC’s intent to work on a dark skies ordinance and urging city officials to consider collaborating, then adopting it when the time comes.

A reinforcing cold front has triggered a freeze watch in the Lehigh Valley from Thursday evening through Friday morning, bringing our coldest overnight temperatures since mid-April.

State environmental officials are calling on residents to nominate their favorite waterway to be 2026 River of the Year. The effort aims to elevate public awareness of specific rivers and recognize important conservation needs and achievements.

Between changes in federal policy and an unprecedented demand for energy, it's a tough time for sustainability. An hour-long panel Monday with industry experts focused on how to address those changes.

Days of temperatures in the mid to lower 80s will be wiped out by a cold front later this week, forecasters say, ending a bonus stretch of warmth and finally ushering in classic fall weather in the Lehigh Valley.

This week on Watching the Skies, WLVR's Brad Klein and Bethlehem's "Backyard Astronomy Guy" Marty McGuire dive deeper into the details of the upcoming Lehigh Valley Space Fest. The event will take place at Lafayette College Oct. 11-12.

More than two dozen events are scheduled, all focused on mitigating the impacts of climate change through educating and engaging the community.