Does the Q400 have windshield wipers or anything that would show ice accretion to the pilots?
The DHC8 has a 'spigott' on the wipers which shows ice accretion, it has the same aerodynamic profile as the tail, so the pilots can see what ice if any has built up on the surface.
It also has wing inspection lights and Ice detection systems, and from my own experiance has a good de-ice/anti-ice system.
My two cents...the weather conditions REPORTED dont seem anything the DHC8 cant handle