chaadster

All I can say is that when I switched from 26" with MTB tires to 700c with cyclocross tires, it revolutionized and greatly improved my winter commuting experience.

My ride is over primary and secondary streets with get salted, in an area of the country that doesn't see a lot of accumulation of snow typically, although getting 6" from a single snowfall is not uncommon. What that means, then, is that I'm dealing with a day of fresh powder over tarmac at most, and a few days of slush and ice slurry with mostly soft plow ridges to cut through. For that kind of thing, the "cut" of 700x32 is brilliant, yet also allows me to roll efficiently most of the winter when the road is clear.

I would never consider going back to an MTB fat tire for that kind of riding. If I had to ride rough, bumpy, un-shoveled sidewalks where snow accumulated and frozen footprints trammeled a smoothed line, then probably the comfort and accommodation of a fat, low pressure tire would be the way to go.

So as has been said, "it depends."