weather-whistle

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A signal given by means of a whistle, usually the steam-whistle of a factory, to announce to the public the forecast of the local weather and temperature for the next twenty-four hours as telegraphed from the Weather Bureau at Washington. The signal consists of a succession of long blasts and short blasts; for example, one long blast, fair weather; two long, rain or snow; three long, local rain or snow; four long, heavy snow; one short, lower temperature; two short, higher temperature; three short, a cold wave.