VIDEO: Golden Gate Bridge Sings Eerie Tune As High Winds Blow Through

By Rebekah Gonzalez

October 27, 2021

Photo: Getty Images

A lot went on in San Francisco as an "atmospheric river" ripped through Northern California over the weekend.

Heavy sheets of rain flooded streets, high winds toppled over large trucks and trees.

And apparently, the city's Golden Gate Bridge put on a little show for those driving over the bridge on Sunday, October 24.

In a video shared with CBS SF, intense gusts of wind whistled through the railing grates causing the bridge to sing an eerie tune. .

The humming noise heard in the video below isn't new for long-time San Francisco residents. According to CBS, the high-pitched whistling can be heard for miles. It's only gotten worse since the city put in a handrail retrofit to make the span more aerodynamic on windy days.

Because the slants are more narrow, meaning air can flow more freely across the bridge. That also means the slants vibrate more and produce frequencies when strong winds pass through them.

“I couldn’t really describe the sound,” one San Francisco resident Brianne Howell told CBS. “I think I described it as wind chimes at first and, then, like when you blow into a beer bottle. But then, like multiple beer bottles, because it’s different tones.”

It may be an annoyance for nearby residents, but it sure makes for the perfect soundtrack on a stormy October day.

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