substitute

[Bridget]

Is "substitute" being used incorrectly here? Shouldn't it be "substitute wind for rain"?

Weatherperson: Well, we can substitute rain for wind today: it’s going to be a very windy day.

(There was rain on the previous day.)

[Pete]

Is "substitute" being used incorrectly here? Shouldn't it be "substitute wind for rain"?

Weatherperson: Well, we can substitute rain for wind today: it’s going to be a very windy day.

(There was rain on the previous day.)

I agree that the sentence you quote is not the correct way to convey the intended meaning. The most natural and common correction is the one you give.

Actually, the word "substitute" can be used in the "backward" sense (though some people have felt that it shouldn't be used that way), but the preposition is different in that usage:
- Well, we can substitute rain with/by wind today. (Neither would be incorrect, but they aren't that common, and some people may think they are wrong.)