I somehow managed a winter quarter commute to school when I was in college in Rochester, NY.... (no drivers license and public transit was bad to say the least). I think I've managed to block most of it from my memory.... I remember it was usually icy and I put cross tires on my touring bike, but I don't recall making any other modifications. I think in Rochester they did not salt the roads much... they just scraped off most of the snow and everyone rode around on about 1/2 inch of ice all winter long, since putting the plow blade all the way down dulls the blades and tears up the roads.