BE35 PLT ENCOUNTERED IMC WX WHEN IN THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA OVER LAX. PLT THEN PENETRATED LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative

I WAS ENRTE FROM HAYWARD; CA; TO TORRANCE; CA; AND WAS IN CLASS E AIRSPACE ON A 132 DEG HDG IN VFR CONDITIONS IN PREPARATION FOR ENTERING THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA (SFRA). I HAD LAX IN SIGHT AND SANTA MONICA ARPT IN SIGHT AT THAT TIME. AS I ENTERED THE SFRA THE VFR CONDITION CHANGED TO IMC. WITH LOSS OF GND CONTACT I PROCEEDED ON COURSE AT 3500 FT ALT UNTIL I JUDGED THAT I WAS S OF THE SFRA AND STARTED MY LET DOWN INTO TORRANCE ARPT. WHEN I REGAINED GND CONTACT I FOUND THAT I WAS STILL IN THE SFRA OVER LAX BELOW THE REQUIRED ALT OF 3500 FT. MY CHOICE TO CONTINUE ON WHEN IMC WAS ENCOUNTERED WAS BASED ON MAINTAINING A SMOOTH TFC FLOW AS OPPOSED TO A 180 DEG TURN WHICH COULD HAVE PUT ME IN CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC AT MY ALT. I OBVIOUSLY MISJUDGED THE TIME REQUIRED TO TRANSIT THE SFRA AND THEREBY ENDED UP LOWER THAN THE REQUIRED 3500 FT IN THE SFRA. THE IMC WX ENCOUNTERED WAS VERY LOCALIZED AND UNEXPECTED SINCE THE TORRANCE ATIS WAS RPTING SCATTERED TO BROKEN WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. MY ASSESSMENT OF WHAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT IS AS FOLLOWS: 1) I COULD HAVE CALLED FOR A HOLLYWOOD PARK TRANSITION WITH SOCAL TO TRANSIT THE LAX AREA. 2) I COULD HAVE FILED IFR FROM HAYWARD TO TORRANCE EVEN THOUGH THE WX WAS VFR ALL THE WAY.