AN EMB120 FLC EXPERIENCES A TXWY EXCURSION WHEN TURNING OFF THE RWY ONTO UNEXPECTED ICE AND HAIL PELLETS AT EKO; NV.

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WHILE OPERATING FLT FROM RENO; NV; TO ELKO; NV; THE ACFT MOMENTARILY LEFT THE TXWY AFTER ENCOUNTERING ICE. PREVIOUS WX RPTS MADE NO MENTION OF RAIN OR SNOW; HOWEVER; THE FORECAST DID CONTAIN CONDITIONAL LANGUAGE FOR LIGHT RAINSHOWERS AND SNOW. THE AWOS RPT WE RECEIVED PRIOR TO ARR INDICATED WINDS 230 DEGS AT 5 KTS; 10 SM VISIBILITY; CLR SKIES; AND A TEMP OF -1 DEG C; WHICH HAD ACTUALLY RISEN FROM -3 DEGS C FROM 2 HRS PRIOR. WHEN WE CONTACTED EKO TWR; HE RPTED WINDS OF 250 DEGS AT 20 KTS. WE THEN EXECUTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23. AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES A RPT RECEIVED FROM THE STATION WHEN CALLING IN-RANGE. AS I WAS THE PF; THIS RPT WAS MADE BY THE FO. THE STATION PERSONNEL RPTED THAT A HAIL STORM PASSED OVER THE FIELD AND DEPOSITED HAIL SOMETIME PRIOR TO OUR ARR. THEIR PURPOSE IN RPTING THIS WAS TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE STORM HAD MOVED TO THE E AND WOULD REQUIRE ATTN ON THE SUBSEQUENT LEG TO SLC. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS; THE FO INTERPED THIS AS A RPT OF HAIL IN SALT LAKE CITY. FOR THESE REASONS; WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE HAIL. ON THE LNDG ROLLOUT; WE BOTH NOTED THAT IT RAINED EARLIER; AS THE RWY WAS DAMP. BRAKING ACTION WAS GOOD. AS WE TURNED TO EXIT THE RWY; THE HAIL ON THE TXWY CAME UNDER THE ILLUMINATION OF THE TAXI LIGHTS. SPD WAS BELOW 6 KTS; SO THE ANTISKID BRAKING SYS WAS DISABLED. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE RAIN WHICH FELL WITH THE HAIL FROZE ON THE TXWY SURFACE; CREATING AN EXTREMELY ICY SURFACE. AS WE TAXIED ONTO THIS SURFACE; BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL; AND I WAS UNABLE TO CTL THE DIRECTION OR SPD OF THE ACFT. AS THE ACFT MOVED OFF THE EDGE OF THE TXWY; I REGAINED CTL OF THE ACFT. I WAS FORCED TO STEER FARTHER OFF THE RWY TO AVOID HITTING TXWY LIGHTING WITH THE LNDG GEAR OR L PROP. THE TRANSITION FROM TXWY TO INFIELD AND BACK TO TXWY WAS SURPRISINGLY SMOOTH. THE TWR CTLR WAS UNAWARE OF THE TXWY CONDITIONS AND STATED THAT HIS INSTS INDICATED AN AIR TEMP OF 37 DEGS F. ADDITIONALLY; A JETSTREAM 31 HAD TAXIED IN JUST PRIOR TO US; AND HAD NOT RPTED ANY ADVERSE CONDITIONS. AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE ACFT; WE COULD FIND NO DAMAGE. FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL RPTED NO DAMAGED TAXI LIGHTS. AFTER CONSULTING WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH; THE DECISION TO PROCEED TO SLC WAS MADE. THIS FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.