My '68 Chevy with 350 is running well thanks in part to advice from this group. Thank you!

My latest issue is the a/c. It looks like factory to me. It has worked well for the 20K miles I have owned the truck. Until recently.

When driving along running running A/C blowing cold, it started to scream, and now the rubber on the front of the clutch is torn up at the edges and the next piece of the clutch - a plate - is white with "burn" marks. I am not sure if the compressor froze, or just the clutch. I see the clutch for about $100.

Any thoughts out there?
1. Can I cut the belt for the winter? (The fan pulley would only have torsion from the alt belt from about 9-12 o-clock)
2. Way to tell if the compressor is shot or just the clutch?
3. Is the clutch hard to change?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.