ROTARY WINGED TFC FLT. IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative

I ARRIVED AT A HOSPITAL LOCATED IN CLASS E AIRSPACE (ADJACENT TO A NON-TWR CTLED ARPT) TO PICK UP A 9 MONTH OLD GIRL IN RESPIRATORY DISTRESS. THERE WAS NO ASOS/AWOS AT THE ARPT (YET COMMERCIAL WX WAS AVAILABLE) SO I RELIED ON MY OWN OBSERVATION AND DETERMINED THAT THE WX WAS VFR (UPON REVIEWING THE WX ON MY RETURN TO BASE I LEARNED THAT THIS OBSERVATION WAS CORRECT). WHILE WAITING FOR THE PATIENT TO BE PREPARED FOR TRANSPORT; I NOTED THAT IT HAD BEGUN TO SNOW. I FELT THAT THE CONDITIONS IN THE AREA WERE STILL VFR AND DID NOT CONTACT FSS FOR A SVFR CLRNC. THE FACT THAT THE PATIENT WAS READY FOR TRANSPORT WAS A FACTOR IN MY DECISION NOT TO INITIATE THIS TIME CONSUMING PROCESS. WE DEPARTED THE HOSPITAL AT XX05 AND I NOTED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT. UPON MY ARR AT BASE; I RAN THE CURRENT WX OBSERVATIONS AND DISCOVERED THAT XW45 OBSERVATION AT ZZZ CALLED FOR 2 MI IN LIGHT SNOW. I WAS THEREFORE OPERATING IN CTLED AIRSPACE IN IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT CLRNC. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO CONTACT THE FSS FOR WX OBSERVATIONS AND CLRNCS. THE PROB WITH THIS PROC IS THAT I MUST; DUE TO ATC LIMIT ON TIME FOR A SVFR CLRNC; CALL AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE DEP TIME. BUT; A LONG DELAY WITH FSS ON THE PHONE 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP CAN DELAY PATIENT TRANSPORT TIME. LNDG AND DEPARTING FROM THE ARPT WOULD MAKE OBTAINING WX AND CLRNCS EASIER; BUT WOULD INCREASE PATIENT TRANSPORT TIMES EVER MORE.