The winter weather here in Canada isn't exceedingly icy. It can be if we get freezing rain or when it warms up for a bit and then gets cold again. Also, some roads that do not get heavy traffic (but still get more than, say, a residential area) can be icier. I try to avoid the ice and ride on exposed pavement - although that is not always possible. To compensate for than, I have recently got studded tires on my bike.

I think the biggest problem for snowfall is when we get a big blizzard coming through. Probably about a month back we had a big blizzard come through and some of the roads got icy, and most of them got covered. It took a while for the cities limited machinery to clear the streets. I tried riding to the nearby Canadian Tire (it's like a cross between a hardware store, an automotive store, and the sporting/seasonal/toy/kitchen/furniture section of Walmart) and found it to be exceedingly difficult (trying to ride through deep, loose, rutted snow can be tough). But once the roads were cleared, it was okay.

I don't know, from what I read here in the forums, it doesn't seem that our winters are all that different from what they might get in the Northern States... somewhat colder perhaps (it has been known to get down to minus 40 sometimes, although right now we have been enjoying a balmy -10 or -15 degree Celsius). It is not like some people have made Canada out to be where it is always winter (although last year it seemed that way. The blasted snow returned well into May) and we all live in igloos and drive dog-sleds around (well, that is an extreme version of what some people seem to believe). Like I said, it's probably a lot like the winters that parts of the US can get, just a bit colder (I suspect) and perhaps a bit more prolonged.

Hope that kind of answers your question.