I'm totally ignoring your state delineation (sorry) in favor of driving times for you.
VT Areas to Look for, 2.5-3 hour drive:
Killington is on the IKON Pass. is often the first to open and the last to close. It has the most trails, acres, lifts, capacity, skier visits, snowmaking, etc. So, having Killington on a pass is a great value add for shoulder-season skiing and it's somewhere you could spend a lot of time without covering the whole mountain. That said, it's overrated, gets stupidly crowded at peak times, and there are places with more fun terrain. So, having Killington on a pass is great, but don't go on a Saturday in February.
Stratton is on the Ikon Pass. It's the best Southern VT mountain IMO, unless you're looking for terrain park where Mount Snow has it beat. Stratton has Snow beat in every other way though. The IKON has Killington and Stratton on it, for reference, so that's a good option to consider.
Okemo is on the Epic Pass, which is going to release information for next year's pass on March 23. If you wait until then, you'll have an easier time comparing costs and access details. Okemo is the best VT ski area within three hours of you that isn't on the Ikon.
Pico is the sibling ski area to Killington, and included with your Killington days on the Ikon Pass. Any Killington pass is good at Pico, which is the place to be on the crowded days to avoid the madhouse. Between Killington and Pico, you'd be well setup on any given day. Pico is not only just included with Killington on the Ikon Pass, but also generally on Killington-specific passes most seasons.
Mount Snow is with Okemo on the Epic Pass. So, for VT areas in <3 hours, you'd be choosing between Killington/Pico+Stratton (IKON) or Okemo+Snow (Epic). Mount Snow has the best park and solid terrain overall.
NH Areas to Look for, 1.5-2.5 hour drive:
Loon is on the IKON Pass as well as the New England Pass. It's my go-to day trip, coming from Boston. For NH, it has a great balance of top-notch snowmaking and grooming, good vert, good lift setup to avoid lines on crowded days, solid natural snow, some glades, and some steeper runs. Loon is on the IKON and is 2hr+10min from you. Given your inclination to avoid ice, Loon could be a place you love. They really do a tremendous job on the groomers if that's your thing.
Cannon is on the Indy Pass, which was a new offering this year. Next year's details haven't been released yet. Cannon is the first one I'm listing here that I haven't skied. People have a love-hate relationship with it. I know it has some amazing terrain, but also that it's very susceptible to ice, which seems like a big turn-off for you.
Waterville Valley is also on the Indy Pass with Cannon. It's a more chill area with some fun long cruisers, and very much worth a few trips if it's on your pass.
Mount Sunapee is on the Epic Pass with Okemo and Mount Snow. Sunapee doesn't have the vert of the aforementioned areas but has some fun glades and plenty of terrain across multiple faces to keep me interested for a full day for sure. There are two key added bonuses for you: proximity and snow. They have great snowmaking and grooming and are impressively resilient against ice for being so far south. Sunapee is also only 1hr+45min from you, which makes it the closest mountain of its caliber. That's definitely something to consider when buying a pass if the proximity is a big value-add.
Gunstock is not on a multi-mountain pass. It's worth mentioning alongside Sunapee, as it's the less crowded independent alternative for a southern NH mountain within two hours of you. It's more than just a hill and they have night skiing, but it may feel like more of a beginner mountain to you depending on your ability level.