I think the darkness of the sky here really helps to set off the whites of the snow. I like that it's a willow...that gives it a neat effect. The desat worked well here also.
I do like the tonal range here, but composition seems a little haphazard - the frame is a little busy - still it's a shame it got disqualified, sorry to hear about that.
Wow, this really is an awesome picture, great tonal range. With a little bit more editing to bring out some greys it would have been a great AA submission.