how can you tell when flying into a shower (cu, tcu or cb) whether the snow will be frozen/moist/sleet or not, when the conditions under such a cloud may be turbulent, with updraughts/downdraughts, pressure changes, temperature changes etc. remember super cooled water droplets?
So your advice seems to be that it's unsafe to fly through any cumuliform cloud under any circumstances, at any temperature, just in case you encounter something nasty which happens to be at a different temperature?
IMHO, the key is not to avoid altogether but to have alternatives.
I think you hit the nail on the head, Aim Far. It\'s my firm belief that your attitude will keep you alive rather longer than an approach that avoids any exploration of hazards.
Realism in risk management is vital in aviation, not just to make aviation operationally viable, but because we have to make decisions based on relative risk. If we over-estimate risk in one area, we drive our decision towards actions that are actually more risky than the best overall strategy. Do you fly over the hills to avoid the snow shower in the plain?
Average bloke has taken an ambiguous passage from an SSL which I think otherwise gives pretty good advice. It\'s important to appreciate the hazards, without overestimating the risk associated with snow.