When you see it in full-size, the background is fine. I like the composition overall, and the colors definitely invoke "dead of winter" (here in Texas winter is just brown, not white ;-). The only change I might see making would be to crop it just a little at the very top and bottom, leaving the sides alone...that would make it more of a "widescreen" aspect ratio, and the branch would seem to just be suspended and floating across the screen.