I've spent some time up north during the Winter and did some driving there. Two big differences. #1) They're much more prepared for it. #2) Down here, we're usually right on the border of cold air so we tend to get a mixture of freezing rain, snow & sleet. When all is said and done, a lot of times we just end up with a layer of invisible ice on the roads which is one of the reasons we have so many accidents. I don't know about you, but I'd rather drive through a foot of white fluffy snow than on a 1/4" of black ice.
A few years ago one of my buddies from Ohio came for a visit and got caught in an ice storm coming back from Atlanta. He was stuck on the highway all night and most of the next day. Needless to say, he doesn't make fun of Southern winter storms anymore.