Currently reading a book about ferry pilot adventures. One technique used when ferrying, when loaded up with ice, was to fly so close the water the salt spray from waves would wash over and deice you.
Since you're not navigating the North Atlantic, I wouldn't fly.
Seriously though, I wouldn't unless you can pick a safe altitude at least couple degrees above freezing. Even then, always have an out incase something unforeseen happens...higher, lower or laterally. Your flight planning should have a healthy dose of airmass study and temperatures aloft along your route of flight.
Here's what I know about icing...
- Visible moisture must be present
- The temperature of the collecting surface must be at or below freezing, the OATs only relevance is that it effects the temperature of said surface
However, the above doesn't guarantee ice. The severity of the ice ( NIL-Extreme) depends on many factors, but the most likely environment to be conducive will be near 32F with an airmass containing enough water by volume to produce precipitation...rain and drizzle being the worst.
If you can find it, NASA has some fantastic videos dedicated to inflight icing, and they contain valuable information if you care to dive into it whilst firmly grounded. One of the more interesting things found that freezing drizzle produces significantly more icing that freezing rain due to quantity of water per air volume.
Ice
Linear Mode
