BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Welcome back to Science Sundays! This Wednesday marked the first day of fall on the calendar or the autumnal equinox. That means the hours of daylight and night are roughly equal right now, and we're heading into shorter days for the rest of the season.

And that's because we're heading into Santa Ana wind season here in California.

The National Weather Service defines these winds as the synoptic event of strong, downsloping winds that occur "below mountain passes and in canyons in southern California." But we experience them here in Kern County too.

Learn more about the Santa Anas Winds:

• Students can learn more about why the wind blows.
• And study more specifically about mountain and valley winds.