Environment Canada has issued a snow squall watch for the London area, warning that as much as 15 centimetres of snow could accumulate by Saturday afternoon.

The snow squall watch applies to London, Middlesex, Huron, Perth, Sarnia, Lambton, Grey, Bruce and the Barrie-Orillia-Midland areas.

The squalls may develop Friday night and continue through Saturday, as a cold air mass moves into the area, Environment Canada advised.

"Under the snow squall bands, visibilities could be significantly reduced due to the heavy snow, and snow could quickly accumulate," Environment Canada said.

Temperatures for London are forecast to drop to 1 degree Friday night and reach a high of just five degrees Saturday.

The taste of winter is forecast to be short-lived with temperatures Monday returning to a normal high of 13 degrees with sunshine. The forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday calls for above normal temperatures with a 40% chance of rain.