Examples

Example 1

Zoe's flight to Barbados was delayed for three hours due to inclement weather.

We hope she got some free snacks out of the ordeal. There's nothing that a tiny bag of exactly nine mini-pretzels can't fix. Weather's the way to go here since we're talking about atmospheric changes like wind or thunderstorms.

Example 2

When my cat, Mrs. Paddleball, turned my computer off with her tail, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

We can understand the dilemma: on the one hand, that's an impressive feat for a cat. On the other hand, if you haven't saved your game recently… ouch. Here, the speaker's talking about two options—laughing or crying—so whether is the right choice.

Example 3

Please let me know whether you're bringing a date to the wedding.

That's just good manners. What's also good is using whether here since we're talking about two alternatives: bringing a date or not bringing a date.