[JRMichler]

What everybody else said.

Plowing snow with the front bumper can plug the radiator with snow and cause overheating. It happened to my sister once up in the Michigan Upper Peninsula.

Percentage of weight on the drive wheels is important. A FWD car with one person may have 60% of the weight on the front wheels, and excellent traction.

My 2WD pickup with topper, bed mat, trailer hitch receiver, toolbox, and box of chains in the back has about 50% of its weight on the drive wheels. Traction is adequate, and I have chains when needed (about once every two years).

A 4WD pickup with one person and nothing in the box will have as little as 40% of its weight on the rear wheels. Traction will be poor. Four wheel drive trucks have several hundred pounds of 4WD stuff, with that weight centered over the front axle. That shifts the weight distribution enough that 4WD trucks need 4WD in snow, while 2WD trucks do not need 4WD in snow.

I have over 40 years driving experience in snow country, and have never owned or used 4WD. Never needed it, either.