Can you weather this whether or no?

Which of the following sentences is correct?

1. I asked him weather or not he could help.
2. The weather report forecasts rain for today.
3. Weather or not I take an umbrella, I expect the whether shall be the same.
4. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

If you need a hint, two are correct and two are incorrect.

If you chose 2 and 4, you win! Sorry, I have no prizes. You just get the satisfaction of knowing how smart you are.

Definitions from Dictionary.com:

weath·er

  [weth-er]

noun

1.

the state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.

2.

a strong wind or storm or strong winds and storms collectively: We've had some real weather thisspring.

3.

a weathercast: The radio announcer will read the weather right after the commercial.

4.

Usually, weathers. changes or vicissitudes in one's lot or fortunes: She remained a good friend in allweathers.

verb (used with object)

5.

to expose to the weather; dry, season, or otherwise affect by exposure to the air or atmosphere: toweather lumber before marketing it.

6.

to discolor, disintegrate, or affect injuriously, as by the effects of weather: These crumbling stoneshave been weathered by the centuries.

7.

to bear up against and come safely through (a storm, danger, trouble, etc.): to weather a severeillness.

8.

Nautical . (of a ship, mariner, etc.) to pass or sail to the windward of: to weather a cape.

9.

Architecture . to cause to slope, so as to shed water.

wheth·er

  [hweth-er, weth-]

conjunction

1.

(used to introduce the first of two or more alternatives, and sometimes repeated before the secondor later alternative, usually with the correlative or  ): It matters little whether we go or stay. Whether wego or whether we stay, the result is the same.

2.

(used to introduce a single alternative, the other being implied or understood, or some clause orelement not involving alternatives): See whether or not she has come. I doubt whether we can do anybetter.

3.

Archaic. (used to introduce a question presenting alternatives, usually with the correlative or  ).

pronoun Archaic.

4.

which or whichever (of two)?

Idioms

5.

whether or no, under whatever circumstances; regardless: He threatens to go whether or no.

While the two words sound exactly the same when spoken, they have very different meanings, and should not be mixed up when writing as this will cause much confusion.