I live in a university town. The only difference I notice is more glass on the roads (broken beer bottles, mostly) and more riders salmoning in the dark with no lights.
The only time I take a break from commuting is during spring melt. Even studs don't work well on the wet patches of ice on side streets and in shady spots. Winter is easier unless the wind chill is really bad or there's been a lot of drifting snow.