AN SF340'S LNDG GEAR INDICATION REMAINED IN TRANSIT AFTER TKOF FROM A SNOW AND SLUSH COVERED ARPT SURFACE. ACFT RETURNED TO LAND AT THE DEP ARPT.

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ON THE INITIAL CLB AFTER TKOF FROM ZZZ; THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE ORANGE 'IN-TRANSIT' LIGHT REMAINED ON AFTER GEAR RETRACTION. AFTER ALL NORMAL CHKS AND FLOWS FOR AFTER TKOF WERE COMPLETE; THE APPROPRIATE QRH CHKLIST WAS PERFORMED. THE QRH CHKLIST DID NOT RESOLVE THE SITUATION AND DIRECTED TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. AFTER CONTACTING BOTH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO ZZZ FOR LNDG. ATC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SITUATION AND GIVEN ALL AVAILABLE INFO AT THAT TIME. UNDER DIRECTION OF THE QRH; IT WAS NECESSARY TO RETURN TO ZZZ WITH LNDG GEAR EXTENDED. ATC WAS INFORMED OF THE SITUATION AND ASSOCIATED SPD RESTRS. WITH THE QRH CHK COMPLETE; THE LNDG GEAR SHOWED A NORMAL -- 3 GREEN -- DOWN-LOCKED CONDITION. I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO DECLARE AN EMER AT THAT TIME. ATC WAS ADVISED OF THE CONDITION AND MY DESIRE TO NOT DECLARE AN EMER. ATC THEN INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING THE SITUATION A 'CLASS 1' EMER; DESPITE MY REQUEST TO NOT DECLARE AN EMER. THE FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX WERE INFORMED OF THE SITUATION AND RETURN TO ZZZ. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WERE MADE WITH NORMAL TAXI TO THE GATE. MAINT CTL WAS CALLED WITH THE APPROPRIATE WRITE-UP. MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE OF THE 'IN-TRANSIT' LIGHT REMAINING ON WAS DUE TO AN AREA OF THE LNDG GEAR BEING CONTAMINATED WITH SNOW; ICE; SLUSH. ALTHOUGH NEITHER THE FO OR MYSELF NOTICED ANY UNUSUALLY EXTENSIVE CONTAMINATION ON THE LNDG GEAR PRIOR TO DEP; THE GEAR MAY HAVE BECOME FURTHER CONTAMINATED ON THE TAXI OUT FROM THE GATE TO DE-ICE PAD TO THE RWY. AGAIN; THIS IS A 'LIKELY' CAUSE; HOWEVER I NEVER WAS INFORMED OF THE FINAL DETERMINATION OF THE CAUSE AFTER MAINT COMPLETED THEIR INSPECTION. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO CONSIDER HAVING LNDG GEAR AREAS SPRAYED WITH LOW PRESSURE DE-ICE FLUID IN ANY SITUATION WHEN SNOWY; SLUSHY ARPT SURFACE CONDITIONS EXIST. ALTHOUGH IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO AVOID ALL SURFACE CONTAMINATION ON TAXI OUT; AVOIDANCE OF THESE CONDITIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE COULD REDUCE THE CHANCES OF THIS SITUATION FROM HAPPENING.