Narrative:

I was a flight instructor on an instrument instructional flight with the plan of doing VFR air work after departing abe airport near quakertown; PA. A WX briefing via duats was received indicating no WX. After the air work we were to land at allentown queen city airport (1n9) and pick up a filed IFR clearance to rdg to practice instrument approachs there. Upon our climb out from abe we were advised by allentown approach of some WX in the area we were going to practice in. We immediately diverted to 1n9 where we parked and got another WX briefing. We noted a small radar return to the south of allentown; however; it was not along our planned route. We then continued to pick up our IFR clearance to rdg. The flight there was clear as was our ILS approach to runway 36. Upon landing we picked up our IFR clearance to abe. Shortly after takeoff to the northwest we were in the middle of a snow shower. The snow shower lasted approximately 5 mi till we cleared it en route to abe. Though our aircraft was not equipped for the possible icing conditions I elected to continue the flight because I could see that the clrest area of the WX was to our northeast. Also; from my previous viewing of the radar; I knew the echo was south of rdg. The option of returning to rdg for landing would have probably put us into heavier snow. I closely monitored our aircraft for any ice buildup but none was detected. The flight continued to abe uneventful. The ATIS at rdg was not reporting any snow at the time; and was updated approximately 7 mins prior to the event. The problem occurred simply because of unforecasted WX. Though I was aware that precipitation was in the area; it did not seem to pose a threat to our flight. Snow showers are very unpredictable and tend to pop up quite frequently in this area during the winter months. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot probably would not have submitted a report except for the fact that his student questioned their flight conditions. He acknowledged that by the FAA's definition he conducted a flight into icing conditions; but since ice did not adhere to the surface it was ok. He expects icing conditions in the northeast in the winter time and they can't simply situation all winter long without flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 FLT INSTRUCTOR WITH A STUDENT RPTS ENTERING SNOW SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ICING CONDITIONS DURING A TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: I WAS A FLT INSTRUCTOR ON AN INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTIONAL FLT WITH THE PLAN OF DOING VFR AIR WORK AFTER DEPARTING ABE ARPT NEAR QUAKERTOWN; PA. A WX BRIEFING VIA DUATS WAS RECEIVED INDICATING NO WX. AFTER THE AIR WORK WE WERE TO LAND AT ALLENTOWN QUEEN CITY ARPT (1N9) AND PICK UP A FILED IFR CLRNC TO RDG TO PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APCHS THERE. UPON OUR CLB OUT FROM ABE WE WERE ADVISED BY ALLENTOWN APCH OF SOME WX IN THE AREA WE WERE GOING TO PRACTICE IN. WE IMMEDIATELY DIVERTED TO 1N9 WHERE WE PARKED AND GOT ANOTHER WX BRIEFING. WE NOTED A SMALL RADAR RETURN TO THE S OF ALLENTOWN; HOWEVER; IT WAS NOT ALONG OUR PLANNED RTE. WE THEN CONTINUED TO PICK UP OUR IFR CLRNC TO RDG. THE FLT THERE WAS CLR AS WAS OUR ILS APCH TO RWY 36. UPON LNDG WE PICKED UP OUR IFR CLRNC TO ABE. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF TO THE NW WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOW SHOWER. THE SNOW SHOWER LASTED APPROX 5 MI TILL WE CLRED IT ENRTE TO ABE. THOUGH OUR ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR THE POSSIBLE ICING CONDITIONS I ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT BECAUSE I COULD SEE THAT THE CLREST AREA OF THE WX WAS TO OUR NE. ALSO; FROM MY PREVIOUS VIEWING OF THE RADAR; I KNEW THE ECHO WAS S OF RDG. THE OPTION OF RETURNING TO RDG FOR LNDG WOULD HAVE PROBABLY PUT US INTO HEAVIER SNOW. I CLOSELY MONITORED OUR ACFT FOR ANY ICE BUILDUP BUT NONE WAS DETECTED. THE FLT CONTINUED TO ABE UNEVENTFUL. THE ATIS AT RDG WAS NOT RPTING ANY SNOW AT THE TIME; AND WAS UPDATED APPROX 7 MINS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THE PROB OCCURRED SIMPLY BECAUSE OF UNFORECASTED WX. THOUGH I WAS AWARE THAT PRECIPITATION WAS IN THE AREA; IT DID NOT SEEM TO POSE A THREAT TO OUR FLT. SNOW SHOWERS ARE VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND TEND TO POP UP QUITE FREQUENTLY IN THIS AREA DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE SUBMITTED A RPT EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT HIS STUDENT QUESTIONED THEIR FLT CONDITIONS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT BY THE FAA'S DEFINITION HE CONDUCTED A FLT INTO ICING CONDITIONS; BUT SINCE ICE DID NOT ADHERE TO THE SURFACE IT WAS OK. HE EXPECTS ICING CONDITIONS IN THE NE IN THE WINTER TIME AND THEY CAN'T SIMPLY SIT ALL WINTER LONG WITHOUT FLYING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.