BE35 PLT ENCOUNTERED LIGHT ICING IN CRUISE. AFTER DSNDING TO DIVERT BECAUSE OF WX; HE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE ICING AND AN INOP GUP VOR DME.

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I CALLED PRESCOTT FSS ON MORNING OF NOV/XA/98. BRIEFER DID NOT TELL ME THAT GUP DME WAS OUT. AS A RESULT; I WAS AT 15000 FT WHEN I STARTED TO PICK UP LIGHT ICE. I THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO LAND AT THE CLOSEST ARPT. SINCE I WAS JUST W OF GUP ON THE AIRWAY ABOUT 15 NM; I PROCEEDED TO TELL CTR I WAS ICING; AND I WANTED TO DO THE APCH TO GUP. AS I STARTED TO DO THE APCH; I NOTICED I HAD NO DME. I RPTED TO CTR I HAD NO DME; AND THEN OVERSHOT THE FIELD. AT THAT TIME; I STARTED TO PICK UP SEVERE ICING; AND I WAS STILL IMC. NOT KNOWING THE TERRAIN; I WAS UNSURE OF MY DISTANCE FROM THE GND OR A MOUNTAIN. CTR TURNED ME BACK TO THE VOR TO FIND I WAS PERFECTLY LINED UP WITH THE FIELD; AND I WAS STILL IN SEVERE ICE. AS CTR CALLED THE FIELD; I DSNDED WITH NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO BREAK OUT; WHICH I DID; AND LANDED SAFELY. PRESCOTT SHOULD HAVE RPTED WITH NOTAMS THAT DME WAS OUT. CTR SAID THEY CHKED AND PRESCOTT HAD FAILED TO RPT THAT TO ME. HAD I KNOWN; THAT WOULD HAVE INFLUENCED MY DECISION TO LAND OR NOT TO GO.