PA28 PLT FLEW IMC IN VFR FLT; ENCOUNTERED DARKNESS; AND ENTERED DC ADIZ WITH OUT CLRNC.

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PRIOR TO HEADING TO THE FIELD I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING WHICH CALLED FOR A 3000 FT CEILING WITH A FORECAST FOR SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2000 FT. SINCE W29 WAS RECENTLY INCLUDED IN THE DC ADIZ; THE WX BRIEFING ALSO MUST INTERPRET AND IMPLEMENT THE ADIZ RULES. AFTER THE WX INFO I WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE CODE AFTER THE BRIEFER CALLED BWI APCH DIRECTLY AND THEN FILED THE ADIZ FLT PLAN; THEN THE VFR 'SEARCH AND RESCUE' FLT PLAN FOR W29 TO OXB; VIA SBY; AND THE RETURN PLAN FROM OXB TO W29; VIA SBY. THE FLT ORIGINATED XA00 EASTERN FROM W29. THE CONDITIONS WERE VFR; DUSK WITH A 3000 FT CEILING. I CLBED TO 2500 FT ON A HDG OF 152 FOR SBY. I CONTACTED THE SBY TWR APPROX 10 MILES N REQUESTING A TRANSITION AND WAS APPROVED. I LATER DESCENDED TO 1900 FT AND CONTACTED SBY TO INFORM THEM OF MY ALT CHANGE. AFTER OVERFLYING SBY I TURNED EAST FOR OXB AND ENCOUNTERED A LOW CEILING AND CLOUDS WHICH PRODUCED LIGHT ICING. WITH THE CLOUDS AND DARKENING CONDITIONS I DECIDED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO SBY AND MADE A SHALLOW 180 DEG CLBING TURN. I CONTACTED SBY TWR AND AGAIN REQUESTED A TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD AND AGAIN ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS 1 MILE E AT 1900 FT. I CONTINUED ON A NW HDG WHEN I ENCOUNTERED DARK SKY AND SCATTERED CLOUDS. I ELECTED TO TURN W TO FIND THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND THEN CONTINUED N TO W29. I DID THIS TO ELIMINATE ANY NAVIGATION ISSUES WHILE FLYING UNDER CHALLENGING CONDITIONS. I THEN CONTACTED 122.6; JYO FSS; TO UPDATE MY FLT PLANS. I CANCELLED MY PLAN TO OXB AND SAID I WAS HEADING BACK TO W29 AT THAT TIME. I NEXT DECIDED TO MONITOR CAMBRIDGE UNICOM; THEN EASTON UNICOM TO MONITOR LOCAL TFC. AFTER A SHORT WHILE CRUISING N AT 1500 FT APPROX I CONTACTED BWI APCH WHILE CHANGING MY XPONDER FROM 1200 TO MY DISCRETE CODE. THE POINT WHERE I MADE CONTACT IS; I BELIEVE; AN ISSUE OF SAFETY. DURING MY BRIEF FLT I ENCOUNTERED ICING; DARKENING SKIES AND VARYING CEILINGS (THE FORECAST OF SCATTERED CLOUDS DID NOT MATERIALIZE). MY PRIORITIES WERE FOCUSING ON FLYING SAFELY; CONTACTING THE SBY TWR OF MY INTENTIONS; CONTACTING JYO TO UPDATE AND CANCEL MY FLT PLANS; MONITORING LOCAL ARPT UNICOM FREQUENCIES AND OF COURSE NAVIGATING. MY PRIORITY IS ALSO OBEYING THE ADIZ RULES; BUT MY FIRST PRIORITY WILL ALWAYS BE FLYING SAFELY. I FEEL SAFETY COULD BE COMPROMISED IF PLTS FLYING UNDER CHALLENGING CONDITIONS BECOME OVERLY DISTRACTED ON REQUESTING CLRNC FOR ENTERING THE ADIZ. ON MY FLT I MADE A VARIETY OF DECISIONS BASED ON THE CONDITIONS WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING A SAFE FLT.