FLC OF A B737-400 LEVELED OFF 1000 FT ABOVE CRUISE ALT DUE TO SETTING THE WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING WHEN CLBING THROUGH FL180. ATC INTERVENED AND CALLED THE WRONG ALT OUT TO THE CREW AND ASKED THEM TO RECHK THEIR ALTIMETER SETTING.

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ALTIMETER SETTING LEAVING ANCHORAGE WAS 28.84. ON CLBOUT PASSING THROUGH FL180 THE CAPT CALLED FOR .92 CLB CHK. WE BOTH SET 28.92 INSTEAD OF 29.92. AFTER REACHING FL310 I RPTED LEVEL WITH ZAN. HER RESPONSE WAS SAY ALT. I SAID FL310. THE CTLR SAID I'M SHOWING FL320; CHK ALTIMETER SETTING. WE SET OUR ALTIMETERS CORRECTLY AND DSNDED TO FL310. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS; WE WERE ENRTE TO KODIAK AND THE WX WAS POOR SO WE WERE DISCUSSING OUR APCH AS DSCNT BEGINS SHORTLY AFTER LEVELOFF. BEING A SHORT FLT I TRIED TO PERSUADE THE CAPT TO DECIDE ON WHICH APCH BEFORE WE LEFT ANC. HE REMAINED UNDECIDED. WITH THE WX CONSTANTLY CHANGING BECAUSE OF AREA SNOW STORMS; IT CREATED DISCUSSION DURING CLBOUT WHICH DISTRACTED US FROM A PROPER ALTIMETER SETTING. HAVING TO BUILD AN APCH WITH A DME ARC AND MISSED APCH IN THE FMC FOR AN FMS ACFT TAKES SOME TIME. IT CAN CREATE A RUSHED FEELING WHEN YOUR TOP OF DSCNT POINT IS WITHIN MINS OF TOP OF CLB POINT. FMS ACFT REDUCE WORKLOAD EXCEPT DURING SHORT FLTS IT CAN HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. LOW ALTIMETER SETTING; CONSTANTLY CHANGING WX; SHORT FLT WITH HIGH WORKLOAD FOR FMC; BOTH CREW MEMBERS FAILING TO XCHK EACH OTHER; AND THE PF BEING UNDECIDED WHICH APCH TO EXECUTE. THOSE WERE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.