Some of the posters here are
advocating for overkill I'm afraid. What is it with americans and "buying for peak use" anyway. As in, "we get extreme snow a few times a year where I live, so I had better buy an AWD vehicle even though the rest of the time it is added weight, friction losses, complexity, and less driving fun?"
That is exactly the reasoning that got so many people into SUVs for so long - "I go camping once a year, and what if the levees break and it floods, or if the apocalypse comes next week? I'd better buy an
SUV!"
As for going up hills, weight transfer actually adds more to the rears, and takes it away from the fronts, when pointing up a hill. In other words, steep hills actually favor rwd, not fwd. I drove a Miata - modded with minimal ground clearance even, and... Gasp! ... No LSD - for many years in bona fide Canadian winter conditions in the national capital region. Never had a problem and would often be able to pull away quicker (I.e., with more traction) than most anyone else. RWD stickshift winter tires 50/50 weight distribution is a great snow machine for 99% of conditions you are likely to encounter. And that is in a car with no ABS, no TC, no DSC.
To the OP, I suggest you purchase good winter tires, downsized on 17's, and all will be good. You would need winter tires even with AWD, as others here have correctly pointed out.