What George said but I'd add that up here the wind tends to die off quite rapidly leaving you with confused lumpy seas of the sail snapping type.. Our fronts are usually not too wide in mileage scope so you could be five miles away and never even get wet but could see it in the clouds and rain in the distance.
We got stuck in a micro burst about 8 years ago anchored at one of the of shore islands. Four boats went on the rocks and lots of trees were down. Within a half hour it was glass again.. Less than a mile away on another island there was still laundry hung on a
line..
I think it depends on the front and where you are... In the open ocean I worry a lot less about the front than the lightning.. 40-50 knots for 20-40 minutes is still small seas. 40-50 for two days is a freaking nightmare with any sort of fetch...