Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 175; Flight Crew Type 90
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Weather
I was flying from ZZZ to ZZZ1. When I was in the TRACON area; I flew through a cloud at 4;500 feet. I kept my wings level and flew my course line keeping an eye on my GPS and six pack. I ended up going through another cloud at 4;000 feet and another at 3;500 feet. After informing TRACON every time I went through a cloud; TRACON asked if I would like to pick up an IFR flight plan. Not being instrumented rated; I informed him I was not personally Instrument Rated; but he kept offering for me to pick up a plan. I had only experienced clouds during the day during training. Experiencing night clouds were totally different and very freaky because of my lights in the cloud - without the lights though; it was only black (making the situation even scarier). I asked after going through a third cloud to divert to ZZZ2. The controller started reading off vectors and mentioned a cloud of precipitation off the west side of ZZZ2. Turns out I was going through clouds that had randomly popped up with the rain. These clouds were not reported on the ATIS/AWOS. Also; I was pointed towards a dark empty part of the terrain making it almost impossible to tell I was in a cloud until I was in one. I decided to continue on at 3;000 feet because in order to divert I would have to fly through more clouds (the pop up rain) to get to ZZZ2. I continued on and the flight was otherwise uneventful. It was super nerve wracking going through clouds at night. I had never experienced it before. I think it is important Private Pilots experience IFR conditions at night to remain calm like I had in these situations. I did everything to keep the plane level and descend down; but it was still scary since it was all new to me.
VFR Cessna private pilot reported encountering IMC conditions and requesting assistance from ATC.