Aims and scope
Journal of Weather Changes
The journal publishes research on the behavior of the atmosphere, on how that behavior is established and predicted, and on what follows from it for environments and communities.
Eligibility here is decided by the question a manuscript asks and the evidence it brings, not by the technique it happens to use. A radiosonde study, a model intercomparison, a reanalysis of a historical record and an assessment of a flood-warning system all belong in the same journal when each is reported well.
The sections below set out what the journal welcomes. Manuscripts that sit between them, or that join two of them, are read with particular interest.
The journal
- Published by
- Open Access Pub
- ISSN
- 3070-3379
- Short code
- JWC
- Access
- Open access, CC BY 4.0
Scientific questions
What the journal asks
Four questions organize the remit. A manuscript is in scope when it advances at least one of them with evidence proportionate to its claim.
01
How does the atmosphere behave?
Synoptic and mesoscale circulation, fronts and convection; boundary-layer and surface exchange; cloud microphysics and precipitation; radiation, aerosols and atmospheric composition; turbulence and mixing across scales from minutes to weeks.
02
How is that behavior established?
Surface, upper-air and ocean-atmosphere observing systems; radar, satellite and lidar remote sensing; instrument development, calibration and quality control; reanalysis and historical reconstruction; data assimilation.
03
How well can it be predicted?
Numerical weather prediction from nowcasting to subseasonal range; ensemble and probabilistic methods; statistical and machine-learning approaches where the meteorological gain is demonstrated; forecast verification and skill assessment.
04
What follows from it?
Storms, floods, drought, heat and wildfire weather; hydrology, water resources and agriculture; energy, transport and infrastructure; early warning, preparedness and adaptation; environmental and public-health consequences of weather. In impact studies, an atmospheric process, weather event, or change in its frequency or intensity must be central to the question, analysis, and interpretation.
Where the line falls
Weather, variability and climate
The journal keeps the distinction clear and the connection open.
Weather is what the atmosphere does; climate is the distribution weather is drawn from. A single storm is weather. A change in the frequency, intensity or seasonality of storms is climate. Work on either side of that line is eligible, and work across it is welcome.
What the journal asks for is a match between the claim and the evidence. A case study describes its case. A trend statement needs a record long enough to carry it. An attribution statement needs methods that support attribution, stated with their uncertainty. Held to that standard, weather and climate research strengthen each other in one journal.
Climate-system work is therefore in scope where it bears on atmospheric behavior, variability, prediction or impacts. The journal's center of gravity remains the atmosphere itself.
What a manuscript needs
Evidence the journal looks for
These apply to every section above, and they are what peer review examines.
Method
The observing system, model configuration, dataset version, resolution and period are stated precisely enough for another group to repeat the work.
Uncertainty
Results carry their uncertainty. Ensemble spread, sampling limits, instrument error and the period a statistic is computed over are reported rather than implied.
Data and code
Every empirical research manuscript must include a data-availability statement. Model code, analysis scripts and derived datasets should be deposited in a recognized repository or their access route described.
Scope of the claim
Conclusions stay within the region, season, scale and conditions the evidence covers, and say where they do not extend.
Article types
Accepted article types
The journal considers seven article types for submission.
Research Article
Original observational, experimental, modeling or impact research.
Review Article
Authoritative synthesis of an established weather or atmospheric-science topic.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Reproducible evidence synthesis using a documented search and analysis method.
Methods Article
Validated instruments, forecasting methods, models, algorithms or analytical workflows.
Data/Resource Article
Well-documented datasets, observing networks, reanalyses, software or community resources.
Short Communication
Concise, complete findings of immediate scientific relevance.
Case Study
Rigorous analysis of a specific weather event, forecasting episode or location, with conclusions limited to the supporting evidence.
Editorials, Perspectives and Commentaries are invitation-only.
Reading and taking part
Submitting to the journal
Author requirements are set out on Instructions for Authors, the review and ethics framework on Editorial Policies, and published work in the current issue and the archive.
Manuscripts are welcome throughout the year. Single-blind by default; double-blind review is available on request. Manuscripts that proceed to external peer review are normally evaluated by at least two independent subject-matter experts.
Submission routes
Primary route
Alternative route
Assisted route
Authors must use only one submission route for the same manuscript.