Snakes and cold don't go together well; even in weather where they don't hibernate, they are pretty torpid, and usually burrowed someplace warm.
Hit those same woods in the summer, and you might see them - but you might not.
One guy I work with encountered one in his firewood pile, a few years back. No permanent tissue damage in his arm, but for a while there it was iffy.
Odds are, he surprised the snake.
Most snakes do not want to encounter larger animals, such as humans, and when they feel the vibrations from your footsteps most will retreat.
People I've known that have been bitten have usually stepped into a dark or brushy area, or reached into brush or wood piles.