SOME Shanghai residents couldn't be blamed for thinking that it was beginning to look a little like Christmas yesterday morning.

Early commuters enjoyed the sight of a brief snowfall on their way to work. Some thought it was an early wintry surprise, but the weatherman took the advent of the white stuff in stride.

"Shanghai has had snow in November before; it's not the earliest," said Zhou Tao of the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.

Forecasters said the brief snow shower hit the city about 7am under the influence of cold currents at higher altitudes. The snow did not accumulate because the ground temperature remained above freezing.

The bureau said the cold weather should continue today and tomorrow, along with some drizzle.

Today's high was expected to be 8 degrees Celsius and the low 5. Tomorrow should bring temperatures between 6 and 9 degrees.

There should be an obvious rise in temperatures starting Sunday, the weather bureau said, and could surpass 18 degrees next week.