Environment & Science

Tuesday's fast-moving storm swept quickly through the Lehigh Valley but packed a wallop, bringing nearly a foot of snow to several spots.

“This has been a tremendously difficult storm to forecast due to rapidly changing conditions/temperatures expected and the difference in timing,” the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.

PPL Electric Utilities and Met-Ed reported more than 13,000 customers without power Tuesday morning as a winter storm swept through the region.

Several Lehigh Valley schools are closing Tuesday because of the weather forecast.

Early Monday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning in effect for the Lehigh Valley for 7 to 10 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts over the higher elevations.

One area of potential concern at the Allentown State Hospital had been the presence of dioxins in the soil. Dioxins are a group of toxic chemical compounds that take a long time to break down in the environment, and can cause health problems in people.

Betelgeuse is the red supergiant star at Orion’s ‘right shoulder.’

Lehigh and Northampton counties are under a winter storm watch in effect from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, with 4 to 8 inches of heavy, wet snow possible.

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.

It’s a special year for cicadas, insects known for their high-pitched mating songs. Two adjacent broods are expected to co-emerge for the first time in 221 years. Here's the next time they emerge in the Valley.

The Lehigh Valley has endured nearly non-stop weekend rain since April, marking one of the region’s wettest springs. Despite high rainfall totals, flooding hasn't been a concern.

A stalled front could bring rain, clouds, and cooler temperatures to the Lehigh Valley this weekend, impacting major events like Allentown’s Blues, Brews & Barbeque and Bethlehem’s Juneteenth celebration.

Activists gathered outside Nature Nurture Center in Easton on Wednesday to support a ban on fracking in the Delaware River Basin.

The survey aims to capture opinions from local restaurants and eateries about single-use plastics.

Join the Watching the Skies guys at Shankweiler’s Drive-In next Tuesday, June 17, for a special filmed presentation on the "red planet," followed by a screening of the 1985 film "Explorers."

The grant, part of a $650,000 round of funding, came from the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, a State College-based nonprofit.

Township officials held their first public meeting on the Bushkill Creek Greenway Master Plan. It's a comprehensive, community-driven effort aimed at mitigating flooding, updating facilities and increasing accessibility.

Temperatures climbed well into the upper 80s this week in the Lehigh Valley, teasing that classic summer milestone — the first 90-degree day of the year.

The $13 million contract was with the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program. A pandemic-era program, commonwealth farmers were paid to supply local food banks with fresh produce.

CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced the scores Thursday. It’s the highest grade the city has received from CDP since officials started reporting in 2018.

Smoke drifted over the Great Lakes on Monday night and pushed east, the National Weather Service said, with forecasters warning it will result in smokier skies for the Lehigh Valley and large swaths of the eastern U.S. on Tuesday.

Antone “Tony” Pierucci has been selected to be the new executive director of The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.