You will not find silver in snow below level of obsidian. Before you even think of trying to find silver you would be well advised (after getting all your dead bodies and gear back) to do as noted above and make a trail of campfires. One huge help will be to use your hoe to make the trail. It is easy to get lost, especially in storms but the hoe trails are a darker gray color and easier to follow PLUS and most importantly you will not use stam moving up good trails. When you choose to run in a more difficult biome you immediately make yourself more vulnerable to death. You must carry stam potions and decide when you have to use Eikthyr. Long cool down on it, like 18 minutes which is forever. Potions though are a lifesaver when used smartly.
Don't think about silver, think about onion seeds. Get them, go home and start growing them, lots of them. You now should have onions, turnips and carrots. Plus deer meat, draugr guts, blueberries and thistles and piggie meat. If you don't have your foods upgraded you will suffer at every level. Cauldron to level2. Your abilities are directly related to your health and without adequate stam you can't fight or use your abilities. Just use cold potions till you get your cape. Not the end of the world.
TLDR--Become a Valheim prepper. You will be punished severely for not being as well prepared as you can be at all times.
Travel safe.