It's certainly possible with the right equipment but most people prefer to be warm, dry, safe, and comfortable. Those lucky enough to have indoor parking can go straight from home to car to work without even putting on a jacket. Cycling is going to be a tough sell with them.

Sure, but that has a cost on everyone else. Make them bare that cost, and actually make the decision as opposed to saying that the opposite is impossible.

I feel like the issue here is 40% individual resistance/convenience, & 60% cultural. The society doesn't have role models for them, of people who do cycle regularly in a variety of weathers.

In heavy bike using cultures, people have gear ready to go. Spending a minute to put it on is not really a barrier, an inconvenience. If there is a practice. If your environment supports it, by having plowed routes for bikes, bike parking.

I think we overrate the convenience & comfort factor. Don't knock it till you be tried it. You might like it! There is some real difficulty when your society self selects to only support & assist one mode of transit, doesn't have bike parking readily available, doesn't have safe paths for biking. And trying to embrace biking on your own, learn how to do it comfortably & safely, when few others do, that's hard. But I think the inherent comfort g convenience of cars is somewhat/greatly overrated. The mindset is that biking is inconvenient, but so many who successfully live it will tell you, it's easy & it feels great.

*just as long as you don't have chronic pain or a mobility-limiting disability.

there's also the issue of those with pre-dawn and night commutes, these people are disproportionately lower income and live farther and farther away from gentrified city centers. it is not uncommon to see as much as a 20+ degree drop once the sun goes down and you'd better hope there's no windchill on top of that.

What equipment do they use? I'm totally interested in doing this.

I'm in Wisconsin and bike all year. I have a hybrid with studded tires (specifically Nokian) and an internal hub. I'd also like to get a fat bike for fresh/powdery snow, but it's rare that's a big deal. There's of course some trade-off between how much traction/stability your tires give you and how much friction & inertia you have to work against when pedaling. Some people have a few different winter options so they can select the bike that will be easiest to propel but still be able to handle the particular day's conditions.

It's good to have warm clothes for your extremities, but your core gets surprisingly warm when you bike with any kind of coat on. I often just wear a think goretex jacket till it's in the single digits fahrenheit. I wear winter boots, warm gloves or mittens (depending on how cold it is), and a balaclava or gaiter. Also ski goggles for really cold/windy weather. If you don't start off feeling somewhat cold, you've overdressed.

I've been biking year-round in Denver for decades. The winters here are relatively mild, but we do get blizzards now and then.

I tried studded tires, but found they didn't help much. Black ice is rare here compared to layers of snow and slush, which don't give studs much to bite into. For me, three inch tires with an open tread pattern at low pressure -- plus an upright riding position that distributes weight evenly between the wheels -- gives me the most confidence.

Regarding the cold, I'd say windproofing is most important, and expedition-style mittens are well worth the investment. You won't need much insulation (except maybe at the extremities) once you start generating body heat. Multiple top layers, each with their own full length zipper, will let you regulate your temperature without getting off the bike. That's especially helpful if you have long climbs and long descents.

I think the main thing is studded tires, and ski jacket. Whitehorse isn't exactly a big town, at most you're 10km from where you want to go, but mostly it's 5km or under. I could follow up and get his exact equipment if you'd like?

What's the equipment for a zero-visibility blizzard?

I've never been in a zero-visibility blizzard, but I assume you also wouldn't drive at that point.

You shouldn’t be, at least. Last winter I was driving back home from town and the weather flipped on a dime. Ended up in white-out conditions on a windy mountain road. Luckily a police car had their lights on pulled over on the side of the road. We pulled over behind them and waited it out. It was the scariest drive I’ve ever done and I drive that road every day.