Heavy snow - reaching up to 20cm on higher ground - was forecast for the worst-hit areas, along with a number of yellow "be aware" warnings across the rest of the country.
Secondly, if you make life difficult for yourself - perhaps by shooting into the light or in very difficult conditions such as heavy rain, driving snow or stormy seas - there will be less chance of you overlapping with other photographers' work and your images stand a chance of being far more striking.