As many students are heading back to school after February vacation week, we’ll all be dealing with strong winds throughout the day.

A High Wind Warning is in effect across western Massachusetts warning of winds strong enough to down trees, tree limbs, and lead to scattered debris on roads, and that could lead to scattered power outages.

Wind gusts could exceed 50 miles per hour at times, which in the past, has been strong enough to cause tree and house damage–as well as power outages.

Winds will be strong throughout the day, but will likely peak from late morning through the afternoon.

But there are a few ways to prepare for a potential outage.

You can heat your home a few degrees warmer than you normally would, that way, if the power goes out, it will take longer for your home to cool back down. Keeping curtains closed and door drafts covered helps to insulate your home. Any generators should be run away from windows, and disconnect larger electronics to avoid damage from an electric surge.

Lastly, make sure to keep plenty of water and nonperishable foods around, and of course, don’t forget to check on your neighbors who may need help keeping warm.

In addition to the wind we’ll also have occasional snow showers that could make travel a bit slippery. Here’s how much snow we could see today.