Dozens of Winnipeg flights cancelled ahead of winter blizzard

Some travellers flying to or from Winnipeg were not going to make it home for Christmas.

Dozens of flights were cancelled ordelayed due to a winter blizzard that's expected to hit Manitoba Sunday.

• Major system brings weather warnings to southern Manitoba

The Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) said 38 flights were cancelled as of 1 p.m.Sunday, but the airport remained open and running for some other flights.

Trevor Williamson was on his way to Kelowna, B.C.,when he got stuck in Winnipeg after stopping in the city for a layover.

"They're telling me I have to spend another night here," Williamson said during hour 21 at Winnipeg's airport.

'It's rough'

"The thing is, I'm from Jamaica, and I don't want to be in an airport ... sleeping for two nights you know, that's really bad," Williamson said. "It's rough, man."

Chad Mackay, his wife Tracy Solar and the couple's kidswere supposed to fly to Las Vegas Sunday afternoon.

When the family left home, they thought they'dbeatenthe storm, but when they arrived at the airportthey were told their flight was cancelled.

"My wife is on the phone ... we're trying to make other arrangements, see if we can salvage any of this," Mackay said.

WAA spokesman Tyler MacAfee said it's up to airlines and pilots to decide whether or not they will fly today.

"We are continuing to monitor the weather and working with our partners, including NavCanada and the airlines, to plan for all possible scenarios," he said in an email.

CBC Manitoba meteorologist John Sauder says Sunday's blizzard would start in the west Christmas morning and spread east into the afternoon and evening.

His forecast is calling for southeast Manitoba to be hit the hardest.

There, people can expect 3040 centimetres of snow, and winds gusting to 60 or 70 km/h.

In Winnipeg, the snow was expected to get nasty in the evening. That's when Sauder expectsEnvironment Canada to issue blowing snow warnings and even a blizzard warning.