Replying to Good spots to live north lake

So i'm transferring into SNC in the fall, but i'm a bit old to be living in dorms.

Just looking for affordable areas to find a spot to live, have a car so a moderate commute isn't really an issue. I was looking at just getting a place in Incline Village or in Carson City. My main question is, how bad/impassable do the roads on the east side of the lake get? Reno would be sick, but the commute looks like it could be a bit of a bitch in the winter.

thanks for any help.