I envy the conditions. I found that the more I rode in winter conditions, the less I needed to rely on studded tires. As for clothing, normal, loose-fitting clothing suitable for walking has worked great for me in riding. For walking, I might need to zip up, but for riding, I might need to open up.
Agreed. In many cases, wider tires at lower pressure are good for lots of winter surfaces, including hard packed snow. Studs are needed for icy conditions, but unless I'm riding on glare ice (for example, a bare frozen lake), I generally only want studs on the front tire. This is counter-intuitive for some, but it's slippage of the front tire that is far more likely to make you go down. A little slipping on the rear tire and you stay up anyway.