Maybe I'm a wuss, but as a 100hr PPL with a shiny new IMC, I decided not to try practice holds & NDB approaches on Thursday on the strength of an ATIS reporting 20G30kt at 40 degrees off the runway; clearly one or two of the instructors felt I should have gone, but didn't actually say so. 30kt at 40deg is a 20kt crosswind, so if it had actually been that bad I would have been in trouble...
FWIW I'd certainly not be going anywhere with reported 25G36...
Tim