Knox, Blount schools dismissed students early today. Here's how the decision was made

Knox County Schools dismissed students early today "due to the forecast of sustained high winds with possible gusts this afternoon."

Elementary schools dismissed at 1 p.m. Middle and high schools dismissed at 1:30 p.m.

Blount County Schools also dismissed early due to the severe weather. Elementary schools in Blount County dismissed at 1:45 p.m. and middle and high schools at 2:45 p.m.

How Knox County Schools made the decision to close early

Several factors went into the decision:

"Knox County Schools is committed to making decisions regarding a closure, delay or dismissal as early as possible," district spokeswoman Carly Harrington said in a statement to Knox News. "The decision to close, delay or dismiss early is based on various factors including weather forecasting and assessments made by our security and transportation staff, who are regularly monitoring potential inclement weather.

"We received a National Weather Service report shortly after 11:30 a.m. indicating that winds would start increasing to 20-25 mph in the early afternoon with gusts up to 40 mph in some areas," she said. "The superintendent immediately gathered his team to discuss, and the decision was made for an early release to provide for a safe dismissal of all students."

East Tennessee's wind advisory

Anderson, Knox, Loudon, Roane and Union counties are under a wind advisory until 7 a.m. Jan. 10, with 20-30 mile-per-hour winds and gusts up to 45 or 50 mph expected, the National Weather Service warned. Winds could blow around unsecured objects, knock down tree limbs and result in power outages.

Even higher winds gusts were reported in the mountains and foothills, up to 85 mph, and expected to continue into the afternoon, the NWS website stated.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox, Blount county schools dismissing students early due to high winds