Actual whiteout over Minnesota could hinder Jets fans' playoff travel plans this weekend

Whilethe NHL playoffs have brought whiteout conditionsto Winnipeg's Bell MTS Place this week, a whiteout of a different sort may stop fans from heading south this weekend for Game 3 of the Jets' first-round series with the Minnesota Wild.

The Jets are set to play the Wild in Minneapolis Sunday at 6 p.m. CST, but CBC meteorologist John Sauder says a nasty winter storm expected to blow through parts the northern U.S. starting Friday could leave highways impassable for fans hoping to travel to the game.

On Friday afternoon, a Saturday flight fromWinnipeg to Minneapolis scheduled to leave at 5:28 p.m. on Delta was cancelled.

Earlier Saturday flights at 6 a.m., 1:23 p.m. and 2 p.m. have not been cancelled.

The Jets usually fly to games. Spokesperson Scott Brown says they're still working on travel plans.

Sauder says rain starting Friday over Minnesota will transition into a rain/snow mix Friday night, and the storm could bring as much as 30 centimetres of snow to the Twin Cities by the time it tapers down Sunday.

"It's the last two hours of the drive that are going be really bad, so the earlier you leave the better," said Sauder.

"Going at six in the morning on Saturday, you're still going to encounter some weather at that point southeast of Fargo, but you're better off going much, much earlier, because the snow in Minneapolis is going to start piling up."

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And it's not just the snow that could bring problems for drivers, says Sauder.

Temperatures hovering around the freezing mark throughout the weekend could lead to icy roadways, he said,and winds predicted to gust up to 65 km/h could also mean poor visibility for drivers.

"You're going to be dealing with some pretty blustery, wintry conditions."

'It's going to be a challenge'

It's a forecast that has highway officials in Minnesota warning of the possibility of road closures.

"If you think about coming down from Winnipeg you're going to be driving across the flattest part of the state, where winds are going to have the most significant effect," said Minnesota Department of Transportation spokespersonKevin Gutknecht.

"We'll have crews out on the roads and working on keeping them passable, but I thinkit's going to be a challenge."

Gutknecht says the state will close highways if plow operators aren't able to see through the storm well enough to operate safely.

In that case, gates will be lowered on stretches of the highway to stop traffic, he said.

"I don't know if that's possible, but it's blizzard warnings, high winds, heavy snow all of the ingredients are there for a recipe that would cause us to think about closing roads."

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Gutknecht said the trajectory of the storm which will rip right through the middle of Minnesota means there really aren't any alternative routes Winnipeggers can take.

"At some point of time you're going to run into that mess," he said, adding that after seeing the forecast, he wouldn't risk the trip.

"I understand wanting to come down and see the game, but I don't know there's just something that would be comforting to me about knowing that I'm sitting on the couch in my house watching this on TV and not having to deal with the snow," he said.

"Far be it from me to tell someone that I know what's best for them but it's going to be difficult for motorists to travel in that, so my advice is, if you don't need to travel, you probably should take a pass on this one."

Gutknecht saysfans who are considering the drive should check hb.511.mn.org for up-to-date highway information, including photos of road conditions and live video from the plows out working to clear the roads during the storm.

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