B -- HIGH RESOLUTION NUMERICAL WEATHER MODELS

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE AVAILABLE. This is a request for information only as defined in FAR 15.201(e). The government does not intend to award a contract from this announcement, but is seeking information on available sources for High Resolution Numerical Weather Models. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) requests information regarding high-resolution numerical weather models (horizontal resolution on the order of 10-100 meters). The models will be used by AFWA in conjunction with existing and future mesoscale weather models including the Mesoscale Model Version 5 (MM5) and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Models. The mesoscale models typically produce forecasts at resolutions of 1 kilometer or coarser. The new model will be run following completion of MM5 or WRF forecast, using mesoscale-resolution data as input and providing much higher resolution output, over areas and at times of interest. In particular, AFWA desires information on models to be used over complex terrain and/or urban areas. The High-Resolution models should be (1) easily relocatable and reconfigurable by AFWA personnel for use over a newly-defined area, using existing AFWA terrain datasets and other AFWA files, without extensive training on the part of the AFWA personnel; (2) able to generate data for a 50 x 50 meter horizontal grid, with at least 10 vertical levels, within the lowest 1 kilometer of the atmosphere, within 10 minutes, operating on the AFWA computer system; (3) capable of specifying horizontal wind speeds and directions (or u- and v- wind components) at each point within the model domain. A sample MM5 output data set over mountainous regions will be provided to interested parties. Send requests for this sample to Robert.Dodson@afwa.af.mil. Companies and agencies who possess High-Resolution models they wish AFWA to evaluate for potential use by AFWA should contact AFWA Program Manager, Robert Dodson. Responses to the RFI should be submitted electronically via e-mail and be addressed to Robert.Dodson@afwa.af.mil. Submissions must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. central standard time, 15 Feb 06. The USAF will not release any information -- marked with a Proprietary legend -- received in response to this RFI to any firms, agencies, or individuals outside the USAF without written permission in accordance with the legend. The government does not intend to pay for information supplied in response to this Request for Information. A formal solicitation may not be issued as a result of this RFI. Information provided may or may not be included in a formal solicitation.