Montreal hit with first major snowfall of the year

Montrealers woke up on Thursday morning to a fine accumulation of white stuff on the ground as winter begins to set in across Quebec.

The snow started falling on Wednesday evening and is forecast to continue until the early hours of Friday.

• IN PHOTOS: Montreal gets hit with first snowfall of the season

Temperatures are hovering around 1 degree Celsius and will drop to around minus seven overnight, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, which added that Dec. 5 is much later than normal for the first major snowfall.

"We're actually running a little bit late for this time of year, and I think it feels like it's late because we had almost next to no snow in November," said Gina Ressler of the government agency.

Ressler added that the coming month will see a roller coaster of temperatures.

"Seeing some, freezing on the roads and the sidewalks and then also some melting, which then could refreeze when we have that, next blast of cold air, so definitely it's time to get out your boots with the grips," she said.

More snow is expected on Sunday.

Across Quebec there are winter storm and snowfall warnings in effect in regions east of Quebec City.