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Winter blast leaves Montreal drivers scrambling to change tires

Click to play video: 'Montrealers getting winter ready'
Montrealers getting winter ready
WATCH: It’s starting to feel like winter in Montreal and that means it’s time to start thinking about prepping for the cold weather. As Billy Shields reports, motorists are rushing to get their winter tires on, ahead of the snowy weather – Nov 10, 2017

John Massa has been running his family’s garage since 1980. He braced for a busy day in Longueuil on Friday as customers rolled in.

“It’s going to be crazy,” he said.

With winter weather descending abruptly on the Montreal area, garage-owners buckled up for lineups of customers looking to change their tires.

READ MORE: Montreal transit buses, cars, trucks slam into each other in winter weather

The temperature was well above freezing Thursday night, but dipped to -16 with the wind chill by Friday morning.

“In the past I’ve waited two hours in the cold in my car to change my tires,” said Jean-Pierre Doyon, who was at Massa’s shop Friday morning.

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This year Doyon thought ahead, booking an appointment in advance with Donati & Massa in Longueuil.

But regardless of where the mercury is, some mechanics are setting in for long days ahead. “It will be like this for a solid month,” Massa said.

In Quebec, winter tires are mandatory on all vehicles from Dec. 15 to March 15 inclusively.

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