Montreal snowfall welcomed by toboggan riders

Children took full advantage of the five-centimetere snowfall that hit the Montreal region, blanketing the hill sides of the Beaconsfield Golf Course.

Dozens of children dusted off their toboggans and hit the slopes after being cooped up inside during the holidays.

READ MORE: Blast of winter weather hits Montreal

 “I played video games and watched TV all day,” Beaconsfield sledder Justin Guindi said with a smile.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter:  "I played video games and watched TV all day," Beaconsfield sledder Justin Guindi said with a smile.

Thursday night’s snowfall was the first significant dusting to cover Montreal during the two-week holiday break.

“Everybody got the snow we were expecting for Christmas that never came,” Environment Canada meteorologist Marie-Eve Gigure said.

READ MORE: Pointe-Claire blames bad weather for outdoor ice rink closures

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The new snow was welcomed by François-Xavier Brunet after an icy winter break. His family spent a good portion of the morning sledding and building snow sculptures on the white-covered links.

“There is only a few days left before school,”  Brunet said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There is only a few days left before school,"  Brunet said.

When his daughter invited the family sledding, he jumped at the chance.

“I could keep doing this all winter long this is the best thing,” Brunet said.

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Environment Canada is reporting a mild weekend on the way but snow is in the forecast.

Gigure says a weather system is approaching that could bring at least 10 centimeters by next Wednesday night for the Montreal region.

READ MORE: ‘Treacherous’ icy side streets prompt Beaconsfield residents to call for action

In the the Laurentians, Gigure says a possible 20 centimeters could be on the way.

She does warn the temperature will rise above freezing, which could turn the snowfall into a wet mix of precipitation.