BE-35 ENCOUNTERS HEAVY ICING DESPITE BETTER WX FORECAST; GETS FLT ASSIST AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

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STARTING DSCNT MY OUTSIDE AIR TEMP 0 DEGS C; IN SOLID STRATUS; AT 4000 THE TEMP IS -4 DEGS C; AND PICKING UP SOME TRACE ICE. ABOUT THEN ANOTHER ACFT INQUIRES ABOUT ICING AT CHO; 1 OR 2 ANSWER A LITTLE TRACE ICE; THAT'S IT. AS I CONTINUE DOWN TO 2300 FOR AN ADF; THE PRECIPITATION INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY AND I QUICKLY LOAD UP WITH ICE. SO AT 8 S OF LKU (ACTUALLY ADF IQK); AT 2300 FT; I TELL WAS CTR I'M LOADING UP WITH ICE; AND REQUEST DIRECT RIC (ABOUT 145 DEG HDG). NO DELAY AT ALL; CLRED DIRECT RIC; CLB TO 3000; CONTACT RIC APCH. I CALL RIC APCH; CLBING TO 3000; HDG 145. MAINTAINING 140 MPH AND CLB PWR; 25-2500. AT 2800 FT I CEASE CLBING. REQUESTED LOWEST ALT; GIVEN 2300 FT SO I KEEP CLB PWR AND 140; AND EVER SO SLOWLY LOSING ALT. NOW I'M GOING TO GET A RADAR SURVEILLANCE APCH TO RWY 16. DRIFTING THROUGH 2300 FT I GO BALLS TO THE WALL; TELL HIM I CAN'T MAINTAIN 2300; SO A LEFT TURN TO 090 TO AVOID AN ANTENNA FARM 1500 FT; AND FINALLY AT 1800 FT; MAX PWR AND 130 MPH; I'M HOLDING ALT. AND HEY; THE ILS FOR 16 COMES IN; GREAT; CAUSE IT SHOWS I'M OFFSET R; ON GLIDE. THE RADAR GUY SAYS BEGIN DSCNT; OFFSET R; TURN L TO 130 AND THEN GOES THE ILS. THAT FAKED ME SOMEWHAT; AND I SLOWED MY DSCNT. BROKE OUT HOT AND HIGH AT ABOUT 600 FT (RWY 9000 FT PLUS); FLUNG DOWN THE GEAR; AND HELD ABOUT 120 TILL FLARE. LANDED TO THE SIGHT OF LOTS OF FLASHING LIGHTS; AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES; BIG CHUNKS OF ICE FALLING OFF THE LEADING EDGES. I DON'T KNOW HOW THICK; BUT THE LEADING EDGE WAS BIG AND FLAT; AND METHINKS A GOOD 3 INCHES. ANYWAY; HAD TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 02; SO ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE REACHING THE RAMP; AND GOOD PORTION OF THE ICE HAD BROKEN FREE. CRASH AND RESCUE QUICKLY FILLED THEIR SQUARES VERY PLEASANTLY; AND SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING THE FBO; TWR WAS ON THE PHONE. I GAVE THE TWR A QUICK BRIEF EXPLANATION; THANKED THEM PROFUSELY FOR THEIR VERY QUICK PROFESSIONAL HELP; THE CTLR DID A DAMN FINE JOB IN MY VIEW; AND SO MUCH FOR THAT (I'LL WRITE THEM A 'THANK YOU' LATER). ABOUT NOW HERE COMES THE FAA ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAM MGR FROM RIC; CAMERA IN HAND. TOO LATE FOR ANY GOOD PICTURES; BUT STILL SOME ICE AROUND. ALWAYS WARY; BUT SEEMED LIKE A NICE GUY; I GAVE HIM A BRIEF RUNDOWN. HE WAS PROBABLY IN HIS 50'S; ANYWAY; MY LAST LICENSE WAS ISSUED IN 1966; AND HE WONDERED WHERE I WAS SINCE. SO; HE SAYS; 'DON'T THINK YOU'LL HEAR ANYMORE ABOUT THIS; CERTAINLY NOT FROM ME.' SO; SO MUCH FOR THAT; WE'LL SEE. HINDSIGHT; 1ST SIGN OF ICE I SHOULD HAVE DONE THE FAMOUS 180 (OR IS THAT 360). IN PART I WAS MIND SET FOR LKU; AND WIT THE INFO I HAD; THOUGHT THIS HAS GOT TO BE JUST A LITTLE PATCH OF PRECIPITATION; SOON TO BE LEFT BEHIND. I WAS JUST TOO DAMN SLOW TO MAKE THE 180 DIVERT DECISION. COULD HAVE POSSIBLY STAYED HIGH TILL OVER IQK; AND THEN AN APCH; BUT MAYBE THEN WIND UP LOW; NOT BREAKING OUT; AND 600 FT OVER LKU WITH A LOAD OF ICE; AND NO PLACE TO GO. CAN SEE THE STAYING HIGH TILL AN ILS MIGHT WORK; BUT ONLY AN ADF; AND ZERO INFO. A LITTLE OLDER; A LITTLE SMARTER; I'LL SCREW SOMETHING UP AGAIN; BUT IT WON'T BE A REPEAT OF THIS LITTLE STORY. IF IT'S ICE; I'M OUTTA HERE!!