Of course you can ride 23c tires in light snow but it sucks. For real snow, you want knobbies....the wider the better. Note that studded tires are important for ice...but they are worthless in the snow. Buying yourself an old rigid MTB is a good idea. I take my SS MTB out everytime it snows. Getting out before the roads are plowed is a blast. Riding singletrack in fresh snow is even more of a blast.