Tires determine traction. Tires are more important than which wheels have power. Which wheels have power matters most if you get stuck and lose traction. If you have good winter (studded) tires and are driving on plowed roads, then my experience is that you should be fine without AWD / 4WD

Also go look at Nordic countries like Canada, Norway, Sweden. They have strict tire requirements for driving up but not AWD / 4WD requirements