One inexplicable thing I ve always noticed about ice is that it is seldom as troublesome when the aircraft has full deice equipment. No deice equipment and it is just enamored with the aircraft hmmm. The most valuable reports, naturally, are from aircraft that are similar in size to yours and are flying along the same route. A few reports can make your decision much easier. If that s the way you have to go, wait until the wind subsides or buy a ticket.
Timing is critical.
The one thing that is undeniably certain is that weather will change. Invariably, it will change faster when you want it to be slower and vice-versa. We are still learning about the nuances of forecasting icing, and in the next few years the ability to predict and verify its location should improve significantly. A pirep on icing is a valuable commodity because ice isn t measured well from the ground. The forecasts are so general and conservative that, many times, we are forced to cancel because there just isn t enough information, and the consequences are severe for trespassing without deice equipment.