GREEN BAY, Wis. — Brett Favre spotted his favorite target all alone and let fly.

He hit Donald Driver, all right — with a snowball.

Favre frolicked in the flurries the entire afternoon, throwing three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 42-20, yesterday to reach the NFC championship game.

"I've been hoping for that for 17 years," Favre said. "I was watching the weather all day and it's a shame, I'm like, 'Just give us one of those big snow games.' "

With Lambeau Field looking like a snow globe, the Packers posted their biggest point total in postseason history.

This was exactly the scene Favre imagined when he decided to postpone retirement and try for another Super Bowl ring.

"It does make you appreciate it," the 38-year-old three-time NFL MVP said. "We could be 3-13 next year. Who knows?"

The Packers (14-3) will take on the winner of today's game between the New York Giants and Dallas. If the Cowboys win, they'll host Green Bay; if the Giants win, they'll visit Lambeau.

Green Bay beat the Giants this season and lost to the Cowboys. Favre would certainly prefer to stay home — he's 0-9 lifetime at Dallas.

"We haven't had a whole lot of success in Dallas and I'm well aware of that," Favre said.

The Packers were happy to advance at all after a rough start.

Ryan Grant recovered from two fumbles that put the Packers down 14-0 after only four minutes. He set a team postseason record by running for 201 yards, and scored three times. After its early slips, Green Bay scored touchdowns on six straight possessions.

"I appreciate everyone sticking with it, staying with me," Grant said.

The Packers reached the NFC title game for the first time since the 1997 season, and the largest crowd ever at Lambeau (72,168) partied. Favre and Driver started the celebration early, tossing snowballs at each other.

"When I kind of packed it up and threw it, it got kind of hard, like a golf ball. So I kind of threw it at his back or his butt or something. I'm thinking, 'You don't want to puncture an eye or something,' " Favre said.

Favre tied his personal best for TD strikes in a postseason game, twice hitting Greg Jennings.

Favre extended his own record by throwing a touchdown pass in his 17th straight postseason game.

"Great start," Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "But that's just the start of the game. You've got to finish it."

On Green Bay's first play, Grant caught a pass and fumbled. Then on Seattle's first play, Shaun Alexander plunged in from the 1.

Grant didn't do any better a minute later, when another fumble set up Hasselbeck's 11-yard TD strike to Bobby Engram.

"When we were down 14-0, I have to admit I was not very optimistic," Favre said.

It was 14-all after the first quarter, and Green Bay led 28-17 at halftime.

Favre joined Joe Montana as the lone players to pass for more than 5,000 yards in the postseason.