Contrails in the cloud

Four flew by

Jet airplanes on their way to somewhere flew through these cirrocumulus stratiformis clouds.  The airplanes are long gone; their contrails remain in the clouds as visible reminders of their passage.

Contrail in the front

 

There is an airplane there

This twin jet engine aircraft is transiting from the clear skies of a cold front for the cloudier ones of the warm front. 

 

 

Visible in silhouette

Having entered the warm front, the contrail from the jet plane began getting longer.

 

 

Sunset on the contrail

 

Sunset, a perfectly clear sky, a lone jet streaking overhead...  

 

 

Short contrail

 

As the sun sets and the airplane travels, its trail gets colored.

Contrail colored by the sunset

 

When there is low humidity in the upper atmosphere, contrails tend to be short.  The humidity level seemed to be just right for this overflight.

 

 

 

 

Three contrails of four

Changes in the upper atmosphere weather conditions affect the shape, length, and even the presence of contrails. 

 

Three to one to two

The contrail right in back of this airplane shows it is a tri-jet engine.  Those three plumes combine into one, and then open up to two plumes. 

 

Two plumes

This twin jet engine airplane leaves a distinct two plume contrail.

 

 

Another two plumer

As the upper atmosphere weather condition changes, this twin jet engine airplane leaves a shorter two plume contrail.

 

No trail nor plume

With the upper atmosphere having very low humidity, this twin jet engine airplane overflight leaves no contrail.

 

These four flights were seen in the span of about one half of an hour.