A blast of wintry air swept over Quebec late Thursday and into Friday, bringing with it some showers, flurries, and strong gusts of wind.

The temperature dropped considerably overnight and at daybreak in Montreal it was -7 C, which was not quite record-breaking.

The forecast high is -4.

While snow did accumulate in some areas, mostly north of the city, on the island itself a mere dusting of snow with the occasional icy patch was to be seen. In many places east of Mount Royal there was no snow at all.

The Jacques Cartier Bridge had warned there was a chance of it being forced to close the bike and pedestrian path on Friday, but early in the morning authorities gave everyone the go-ahead to use the path.

The sub-zero temperatures will not last as sunny days are expected to bring the temperature up to 5 C by Monday.

Garage co-owner Adriano Colafabio of Joe & Ralph Auto and his team have been busy changing tires as drivers prepare for winter.

He said the rush is likely to last until Dec. 15, when winter tires become mandatory.

With a slew of customers coming in on Thursday in a mild panic, his best advice was to wait.

"Everyone is rushing in to get their tires on before the winter and it's putting a lot of pressure on us cause everyone wants their cars ready and they want it yesterday," he said. "If you have to put your tires on right now and you want immediate service, don’t rush into a shop. Give it a few days let the dust settle a bit."

In the long term the cold will especially affect the city's homeless community.

"We’re expecting an increase of people coming in, especially as the days get colder and colder," said Alex Desjardins of the Old Brewery Mission.

"We’re always trying to get them some place to go, even if we’re full so we have a bus that takes them from point A to point B, we always call the other resources in Montreal."