I've driven just about everything in the snow/ice (3-16 inches of it) and FWD is easily the better choice. Any RWD (no matter how many sandbags) is going to have the disadvantage. FWD's will pull, RWD's will push as most of you know, and in the snow, I don't see how a RWD is more predictable.
Try this maneuver (One that comes up often in CO): You're slowly braking for the next red light, all of a sudden you've lost traction and are slamming on the brakes.
FWD: You slowly accelerate, tires regrip, and you point yourself away from the car ahead of you.
RWD: You slowly accelerate, attempt to get the tires to regrip, and point yourself away from the car ahead of you, only to find that your tires will again lose grip, and you'll be sliding into that car 9 times out of 10.
Hope this makes sense, but simple thing is.. Around here, if you've got a RWD you just don't drive it once snow has any chance to ice. With the hills/unpredictability of the roads, you have GOT to have a FWD/4 or AWD for the heavy winters.
