Environment & Science

The severe thunderstorm watch comes amid a heat wave that looks to break Monday as a cooler air mass mercifully moves into the region Sunday night.

Excessive heat warnings have been posted in parts of the northeastern U.S. with heat indices of 105 to 110 degrees. Forecasters issued an excessive heat warning for southeastern Pennsylvania. As for Saturday, we're expected to hit a high of 96 in the Lehigh Valley.

One trick is to be sure to water plants at the base — not the leaves — to ensure the roots absorb the water. "Everybody waters the plant, but you need to water the soil," says one nursery manager.

The Lehigh Valley ranks as the eighth-highest industrial market in the U.S., it was disclosed at a Lehigh Valley Planning Commission roundtable meeting on Friday.

This week, Megan Frank is joined by environment and science reporter Molly Bilinski, and Northampton County reporter Ryan Gaylor.

Northampton County Council on Thursday approved nearly $650,000 in Livable Landscapes grants, most focused on expanding or improving the public trails.

With more than two dozen species of fireflies that call Pennsylvania home, it’s no wonder one was adopted as the state’s insect. But, these flashy insects are threatened due habitat loss and light pollution.

The Delaware River Sojourn, an eight-day guided paddling and camping trip, is underway. About 100 paddlers are participating.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's General Duty Clause essentially says employees are entitled to a safe and healthy workplace. In some cases, that applies to workers that can endure excessive heat, like during a heat advisory.

Looking for relief from the heat in Easton? The city is opening up City Hall and turning on the fire hydrants over the next few days to alleviate the sky-high temperatures.

A Northampton County farm was one of the latest group to be included in Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program. The program aims to ward off development and protect open spaces.

Unable to fly and rescued from Saucon Park on Thursday, the female bald eagle was set for a 10-day quarantine at the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife in Hamilton Township, Monroe County. The mother bird died early Friday at the wildlife center.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind watch for winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph possible for the Lehigh Valley and portions of central, northern and northwest New Jersey and east central and southeast Pennsylvania.

Easton is hiring a sustainability coordinator. It marks the third of the Valley's major cities to carve out a position dedicated to sustainability initiatives and fighting the worsening impacts of climate change.

It's the third time the Delaware River has won the title. Previous wins were in 2002 and 2017.

The Lehigh Valley will begin the weekend under a winter weather advisory in effect from noon Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday.

Some salt sheds across the region could be down to their final grains, officials said Thursday, as reports of a rock salt shortage spread through the region and well beyond.

The state's dairy industry has officially reached "HPAI-free" status after rigorous testing in Pennsylvania dairy cattle for highly pathogenic avian influenza. Other states have detected bird flu in their cattle though, so the state will continue to monitor and test cattle.

Sarah DeGrendel was recently hired as the city’s first sustainability manager. The position focuses on creating and facilitating sustainability initiatives while capturing grant funding to cover the cost of related projects.

Because of the timing, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 4 p.m. until midnight for total snow and sleet accumulations of a coating to one inch and ice accumulations around a light glaze.

Months after a fire tore through Blue Mountain, the community continues to support the fire departments who helped battle the blaze. This time, that support comes in form of monetary donations.

Back-to-back storms will roll through the Lehigh Valley this week, but forecasters say if you're a snow purist, don't expect much in the way of significant accumulation.