Without speculating about the possible impact of wind on Mr. Burnette -
The wind on Sunday in the Indian Wells Valley where I live (about an hour south of Lone Pine) was westerly with regular gusts in the 30's, and on Monday increased to the 40's and sometimes higher. Winds in the valley are not always indicative of what conditions are in the Sierra, in my experience.
I've not participated in any discussion re: the chance of wind blowing someone through the windows. However, I have frequently hiked in windy conditions, and know that wind speeds between 30-40mph will buffet you around, and frequently cause staggering. Knock-down speeds don't usually occur until the 50-60mph, and anything much above that makes standing/forward motion very difficult. Have been knocked done by wind many times, and it's dangerous and demoralizing.
Personally, I'd never go anywhere near the windows on Whitney in 30-40mph westerly winds unless it was an emergency, and then only on my hands and knees. Depending upon the wind direction, one might also have to contend with the Bernoulli effect near the windows.
