SVFR PA30 ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS WHILE CONDUCTING PATTERN WORK AT POC.

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INITIAL WX RPT PRIOR TO TAXI WAS 1000 FT CEILING; 3+ MI VISIBILITY (THIS IS 1000 FT AGL). JUST PRIOR TO DEP SPECIAL WX RPT CALLED CEILING 900 FT; 3 MI VISIBILITY. REQUESTED SPECIAL VFR (DUE TO CEILING) TO REMAIN IN S PATTERN. CLRED FOR TKOF I DEPARTED TO REMAIN IN PATTERN. AFTER TURNING DOWNWIND AT 1800 FT MSL (800 FT AGL) I FOUND LOWER CLOUD BASES AND DSNDED TO 1600 FT MSL (600 FT ABOVE ARPT ELEVATION BUT ONLY 300 FT ABOVE LCL HILLS ADJACENT TO FLT PATH). ADDITIONAL LOWER CLOUDS OBSCURED FLT PATH BUT VISUAL CONTACT WAS RETAINED WITH GND AND HIGHWAY. AT THIS POINT I REQUESTED POC LCL CTLR TO OBTAIN IFR CLRNC FOR ILS BACK TO POC. SHE RESPONDED SHE WAS UNABLE. I HEADED IN NORTHERLY DIRECTION TO INTERCEPT THE ILS COURSE BUT I WAS TOO CLOSE IN TO PROPERLY INTERCEPT AND TRACK ILS TO ARPT (RWY 26L). AFTER OVERSHOOTING LOC; TURNED AND TRACKED INTO THE POM VOR (WHICH SITS ON HILL APPROX 1/2 MI S OF RWY 26L AT POC). THE LCL CTLR REQUESTED MY POS STATING SHE HAD IFR TFC INBOUND TO POC ON VOR-A APCH (INBOUND ON POM 164 DEG RADIAL). LCL CTLR ASKED ME TO CROSS OVER ARPT AND ENTER R TFC FOR RWY 26R. I DID SO AND LANDED RWY 26R. SEVERAL ISSUES COME TO MIND WHICH SUGGEST CERTAIN OF MY ACTIONS AND THE CTLR'S ACTIONS COULD HAVE AVERTED MY INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO IMC AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH IFR TFC. CTLR'S ACTIONS: 1) DENY SVFR LCL OPS IN LOW WX WHEN IFR OPS ARE IN PROGRESS. 2) GRANT MY REQUEST FOR IFR CLRNC AND OBTAIN SAME FOR ME FROM SOCAL. MY ACTIONS: 1) NOT REQUESTING SVFR WHEN SPECIAL WX RPT INDICATED REDUCTION IN CEILING. 2) DECLARING EMER AND FORCING ACQUISITION OF IFR CLRNC. (THIS COURSE OF ACTION SEEMED EXTREME AT THE TIME SINCE I WAS NOT AWARE OF IFR OPS UNTIL OVER POM VOR.)