Narrative:

VFR flight, 5-10 mi visibility, light snow reported. Leaving cle to mpv, all stations reported 10 mi visibility, ceilings 4500 ft or greater. Used flight following from cle. Visibility good until northeast of utica. Snow showers reduced visibility to 3-5 mi. I asked ATC what radar was showing, and was told I was in a belt of snow 15 mi wide. As visibility dropped, I looked to the southeast in anticipation of a 180 degree turn back to better visibility but snow started to become heavy all around and behind. I reported conditions to ATC and asked for vectors out of the WX. ATC said utica was reporting 10 mi clear. I initiated a turn to utica. Regained visibility within 2 mins. ATC did a good job with me and helped me out of the situation. On a previous day, along with this instance, while on flight following, I was not given any information on heavy WX that I was flying into. In florida I was headed directly toward class 1 precipitation and was not informed until upon it. I would like to see more communication from ATC when a flight is en route to visible radar reflections for WX. It would take very little time and could help prevent this type of situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA NON INST RATED PVT PLT INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO IMC DURING VFR XCOUNTRY FLT UNDERNEATH AN OVCST WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS.

Narrative: VFR FLT, 5-10 MI VISIBILITY, LIGHT SNOW RPTED. LEAVING CLE TO MPV, ALL STATIONS RPTED 10 MI VISIBILITY, CEILINGS 4500 FT OR GREATER. USED FLT FOLLOWING FROM CLE. VISIBILITY GOOD UNTIL NE OF UTICA. SNOW SHOWERS REDUCED VISIBILITY TO 3-5 MI. I ASKED ATC WHAT RADAR WAS SHOWING, AND WAS TOLD I WAS IN A BELT OF SNOW 15 MI WIDE. AS VISIBILITY DROPPED, I LOOKED TO THE SE IN ANTICIPATION OF A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO BETTER VISIBILITY BUT SNOW STARTED TO BECOME HVY ALL AROUND AND BEHIND. I RPTED CONDITIONS TO ATC AND ASKED FOR VECTORS OUT OF THE WX. ATC SAID UTICA WAS RPTING 10 MI CLR. I INITIATED A TURN TO UTICA. REGAINED VISIBILITY WITHIN 2 MINS. ATC DID A GOOD JOB WITH ME AND HELPED ME OUT OF THE SIT. ON A PREVIOUS DAY, ALONG WITH THIS INSTANCE, WHILE ON FLT FOLLOWING, I WAS NOT GIVEN ANY INFO ON HVY WX THAT I WAS FLYING INTO. IN FLORIDA I WAS HEADED DIRECTLY TOWARD CLASS 1 PRECIP AND WAS NOT INFORMED UNTIL UPON IT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE COM FROM ATC WHEN A FLT IS ENRTE TO VISIBLE RADAR REFLECTIONS FOR WX. IT WOULD TAKE VERY LITTLE TIME AND COULD HELP PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.