Ontario prepares for severe storm TORONTO, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Canadian forecasters say southern Ontario will experience severe weather and have issued snow squall warnings for as much as 16 inches of snow. A squall, often called a whiteout, is a sudden moderately heavy snowfall with blowing snow and strong, gusty surface winds. Snow squalls are formed when cold, Arctic air sweeps over unseasonably warm Great Lake waters, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., said Monday. The condition is similar to a blizzard but is more localized. The squall warning issued by Environment Canada applies to Barrie, Parry Sound, Muskoka and the Bruce Peninsula. Meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said a snow squall watch, less imminent than a warning, is in effect for the London and Woodstock area and into Sarnia, the CBC reported. Parts of London and Stratford could see 40 centimeters [16 inches] by the end of Tuesday. We could even see a few flurries down into Toronto as they reach down through Lake Ontario," Wagstaffe said. Toronto, which had warmer than usual temperatures for the holidays, issued an extreme cold weather alert expecting a high of 12 F Tuesday. "It will feel like a shock for Toronto," Wagstaffe said Monday. She said the temperature was forecast to fall from a high of 44 F Sunday to 30 Monday morning and then to 25 by Monday afternoon.