It is nice to not worry if one loses power but still able to keep house warm and be able to cook on the wood stove.
Warmth - no question. I've only used my stove top to heat soup and reheat slices of pizza using foil. I have a gas grill at the ready(cheeseburgers today), and a Coleman stove is within walking distance. We use propane for the kitchen cooktop. If power goes out, the cooktop burners can be lit with a lighter.
Yea. I don't know if you get hit by the lake effect but it can be hit or miss for us. I did see where they are guessing ,12" to 18". Keep safe.