And when it does, we start talking about below zero weather (That is Fahrenheit. For people who use Celsius 32 degree Fahrenheit equals 0 degree Celsius).
Now, in 20 something weather, we get very little snow and when it does snow it is the cold snow that quickly blows off the road. Thus I use slick tires in such weather, On my 20 mile rides, I still change my T-Shirt half way through. IT is a lot nicer to bike with a dry t-Shirt. Changing the T-shirt is not hard, you just have to be quick at 20 degrees.
Now, at 20 degree I switch to Army trigger finger mittens. These are NOT Gore Tex, but it is RARE to have wet snow when the temperatures are in the mid to low 20s (Heavy snows are tied in with temperatures close to freezing, you get very little snow at 25 degrees). Thus you do NOT need Gore Tex or other water resistant or water proof item at temperatures below 25 degrees. You can still wear Gore Tex items at such temperatures, but their water resistance is NOT needed at such temperatures.
Now, one thing I did notice is do to the effect of increase wind when biking over hiking, you need MORE clothes then hiking at the same temperature, thus Army Mittens are what I generally starting in the teens when on foot, but when biking I started to used them when temperatures are in the 20s.
Please note I like in the Mountains of Pennsylvania. We have TWICE as many snow days as Philadelphia, but Philadelphia actually equals us in total winter snow fall. The reason for this is Philly gets three or four heavy snows during the winter when they are dumped full of snow. Those Atlantic Storms rarely reach deep into the mountains, so we get a light snow from the same storm. On the other hand a lot of cold fronts bring in a lot of light snow falls that when they get to Philly turn to rain or nothing. Thus the total snow fall is about the same each winter, but Philly has 1/2 the snow days as the mountains.
I have to get some new studded tires this year. I have had a pair for about 10 years. They are very good on Ice but you can feel the increase roll resistance, so once the snow is gone I replace the tires (And some winters I never put them on, the snow and ice do not last long enough to justify putting them on, thus the tires have lasted 10 years). I generally put them on my bike after Christmas and remove them after Ground Hog Day. Severe winter in this area is generally between those two dates, through occasionally the snow lasts to March.
Please note by "Snow" I do not mean an occasional snow fall, but snow that stays on the ground. It has dumped snow, measured in Feet, as early as October and as late as April in this area, but those snows are gone within days and thus NOT worth putting on my studded tires for. I put the studs on when the snow stays on the ground for weeks at a time.
Side Note: My Father kept repeating what an old Farmer told him when he worked on the farms in this area in the 1930s, if they is no snow on the ground by the second week in December, it will be a mild winter. That was true till about 10 years ago, when the week to watch became Christmas week. I suspect this is do to global warming. Global warming includes not only longer hotter summers, but shorter but colder winters.
Do to the use of Studded Tires and their increased Roll Resistance, I tend NOT to take long trips in the winter in recent years. I am also in my 50s and age is catching up with me. I still bike, in winter and even in heavy snow, to and from work (Not every day, for I sometime have to go to my county courthouse which is a 45 mile round trip for me).
I tend to wear tennis shoes in winter for my feet run hot (I have been know to wear sandals when it is in the 20s for my feet run hot). The Sandals and Tennis snows are warm enough unless I step into a pile of slush (Snow and Ice I can handle, Slush is another story). On real bad days I pull out my Gore Tex army combat boots (I bought surplus).
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