Departures into low clouds might not be your thing, and that’s fine. Staying on the ground is the ultimate risk mitigation for absolutely any concern. But departing in IMC is common practice and can mean anything below three statute miles of visibility and/or ceilings below 1000 feet.
That’s a wide weather window when deciding if it’s okay to launch. Applying personal minimums for takeoff, often matching approach minimums, is another common choice. It’s also good practice to brief an emergency-after takeoff turnback that stays in VMC. Even then, such plans can’t cover every situation, so one of the biggest risks is actually being forced into a quick decision for an unexpected problem.
