Gary -
Re: the road - down near the intersection (near the old NPS headquarters) there was a icy road warning sign, but the slippery road didn't start until about 1/4 mile below the kilns. You could avoid it by driving on the far left as that edge of the road had melted somewhat. That was in the AM - when we left around 1:30PM, it has mostly melted. However, a storm is working its way south and east, so more snow in the next couple of days is likely, so conditions change. Still - if you find it too icy/snowy for the rental car, drive as far as comfortable, and hoof it the rest of the way. Below the kilns, the road is quite open to sunlight, and melts rapidly (above is quite shaded, so it's a different issue, but it's gated, so doesn't matter anyway).
As for warm boots - personally, I wouldn't do Wildrose in light hikers as there will be snow underfoot, even if the current storm misses DV entirely. The kilns are at 6,900' and the summit is 9,000', so the ground is frozen and trail snow-covered nearly the entire distance. I can recommend two boots, both from Cabela's - one is the
Avalanche and the other is the
Snowrunner. These boots are quite warm and require no break-in. Don't know which airport you're using (probably Vegas) but if it's Reno there's a Cabela's on I80 west heading towards Donner Pass. Corkscrew isn't as tall, so snow is less of an issue. The only place I've seen it is the last quarter mile below the summit as it's shaded, so your light hikers would probably be OK. And of course - if Catnappy's boots fit you're fine.
I grew up in a cold climate and was outdoors frequently, so have deep-chilled my feet many times, including frostbite twice, so ... they're cold-sensitive and as I get a bit older realize that damage has impaired the circulation, particularly in my right foot. So, I don't fool around.
With snow on the ground, everything changes. The likelihood of anything adverse happening is rather small, but when I hike I try to be to be prepared for the "what if's" - what if I needed to spend the night? At 8 or 9,000', even in Death Valley, it gets pretty cold at night.
I particularly like Cabela's Avalanche boot. With those, you could hike any peak in the Northeast, even Mt Washington or Mt Marcy, in winter. They work well with snowshoes and strap-on crampons. There are lots of good snow boots in the $100 range as well - am just more familiar with those than others.
