In NC, specifically Charlotte, you’re 90 minutes from the Asheville mountains (skiing), 2.5 hours from Raleigh, 2.5 hours from the NC beaches, and 3 hours from Charleston.
Snow fall in the cities can be dangerous due to a lack of resources…but it’s usually an inch or two, is gone the next day, and just doesn't happen often unless you’re close to the mountains, where it’s just like a traditional CT winter.
NC is def not tropical, but we are pretty accessible to everything you’d want from an outdoor experience perspective.We’re also usually in the 50s through December and back in the 70s by the middle of March.