I built a bike for winter commuting a few years back--a Bridgestone BB 1. I found the frame for $15 and built the bike up with parts on hand (cantilevers, 26 x 2.0 studded tires, 2 x 6 gearing, rack, fender). It worked great as a winter bike.
That was 6 years ago.
https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting...ter-build.html
I may resuscitate that bike or I may build up the surly 1 x 1 frame I have hanging up on the hook.
I do think the BB 1, which in many ways is a sort of an updated version of a British roadster, made a fine commuter for crappy weather. I may just deal with the rust and build it up with workable, cheap parts.