PIPER PA32 PLT REQUESTED A HIGHER ALT AFTER OBSERVING WINDSHIELD AND WING ICING DURING AN IFR FLT.

Narrative

AFTER CHKING COMMERCIAL SVC FOR ENRTE WX; ICING; ETC; I DEPARTED MONTREAL; DORVAL AT XA30. I HAD ARRIVED AT DORVAL 1 HR BEFORE WHILE FLYING IMC AT 6000 FT IN THE BURLINGTON; VT; AREA. AT 6000 FT THE TEMP WAS +3 AND NO ONE WAS RPTING ANY ICING IN THE CLOUDS NOR WAS IT FORECAST TILL 8000 FT ALONG MY RTE. UPON CLBING TO 7000 FT; I NOTICED THE AIR TEMP HOVERING AROUND 0 DEGS C BUT NO ICE WAS FORMING; JUST WATER ON THE AIRFRAME. THEN AT 6700 FT I NOTICED FROZEN DROPLETS ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WHILE CHKING THE WINGS; ETC; THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED AND WE BEGAN A TURN TO THE E. REALIZING WHAT WAS HAPPENING; I LEVELED THE WINGS; REQUESTED A CLB TO 9000 FT BECAUSE I SAW SUNLIGHT AS WE WERE APCHING 7000 FT. ON TOP; THE ICE DISAPPEARED AND THE PROB WAS OVER. IN HINDSIGHT; I WOULD REQUEST A LOWER ALT UNTIL REACHING WARMER AIR. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO RPTED ICING BY ANYONE OR FORECAST UP TO 8000 FT; THERE IS ALWAYS THE FIRST RPT AND I WAS IT. UNLESS THE MEA IS A PROHIBITING FACTOR; FLY LOWER WITH HIGHER TEMP.