diff --git a/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/Prepare_ERA5-Land_Forcing.sh b/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/Prepare_ERA5-Land_Forcing.sh
index 6820b58..4ea5a8b 100644
--- a/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/Prepare_ERA5-Land_Forcing.sh
+++ b/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/Prepare_ERA5-Land_Forcing.sh
@@ -19,11 +19,18 @@
 #                                                                                               #
 #################################################################################################
 
-year=1980
-INFILE=/fas4/anav/INPUTS/ERA5_for_Noah-MP/YEARLY/ERA5-Land_Noah-MP_$year.grb
+# set date for data processing
+inyear=2023
+inmonth=11
+inday=01
+preyear=2023
+premonth=10
+preday=31
 
-let last_year=$year-1
-PREVIOUS_YEAR=/fas4/anav/INPUTS/ERA5_for_Noah-MP/YEARLY/ERA5-Land_Noah-MP_$last_year.grb
+indate=${inyear}-${inmonth}-${inday}
+INFILE=../../../ERA5_forcing/ERA5-Land-Noah-MP-${indate}.grib
+predate=${preyear}-${premonth}-${preday}
+PREVIOUS_FILE=../../../ERA5_forcing/ERA5-Land-Noah-MP-${predate}.grib
 
 #################################################################################################
 #                                                                                               #
@@ -42,7 +49,7 @@ vars_code=("var165" "var166" "var167" "var168" "var134" "var169" "var175" "var22
 #################################################################################################
 
 echo ""
-echo -e "\033[33m Processing YEAR:  $year  FILE: $INFILE  \033[0m"
+echo -e "\033[33m Processing Date:  ${indate}  FILE: $INFILE  \033[0m"
 echo ""
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREATING OUTPUT DIRECTORIES
@@ -77,7 +84,7 @@ for i in ${!vars_name[@]}; do
    for f1 in $(ls OUTPUTS/${var,,}.grb_*); do
       date=(`cdo -s showtimestamp $f1`)
       timestamp=$(sed -e 's/T/''/g' -e 's/:00:00/''/g' -e 's/-/''/g' <<< $date)
-      mv $f1 OUTPUTS/${vars_name[$i]}/ERA5_"${vars_nout[$i]}"_"${timestamp}" 
+      mv $f1 OUTPUTS/${vars_name[$i]}/ERA5_"${vars_nout[$i]}"_"${timestamp}"
    done
 done
 echo ""
@@ -92,18 +99,18 @@ echo -e "\033[32m o-----------------> PART 2: DECUMULATE FIELDS \033[0m"
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXTRACT THE ACCUMULATED VARIABLES FROM THE LAST TIME STEP OF PREVIOUS YEAR
 
-cdo -s -selvar,var169 -seldate,$last_year-12-31T23:00:00,$last_year-12-31T23:00:00 $PREVIOUS_YEAR OUTPUTS/SSRD/ERA5_ACSSRD_"$last_year"123123
-cdo -s -selvar,var175 -seldate,$last_year-12-31T23:00:00,$last_year-12-31T23:00:00 $PREVIOUS_YEAR OUTPUTS/STRD/ERA5_ACSTRD_"$last_year"123123
-cdo -s -selvar,var228 -seldate,$last_year-12-31T23:00:00,$last_year-12-31T23:00:00 $PREVIOUS_YEAR OUTPUTS/TP/ERA5_ACTP_"$last_year"123123
+cdo -s -selvar,var169 -seldate,${predate}T23:00:00,${predate}T23:00:00 $PREVIOUS_FILE OUTPUTS/SSRD/ERA5_ACSSRD_"$preyear""$premonth""$preday"23
+cdo -s -selvar,var175 -seldate,${predate}T23:00:00,${predate}T23:00:00 $PREVIOUS_FILE OUTPUTS/STRD/ERA5_ACSTRD_"$preyear""$premonth""$preday"23
+cdo -s -selvar,var228 -seldate,${predate}T23:00:00,${predate}T23:00:00 $PREVIOUS_FILE OUTPUTS/TP/ERA5_ACTP_"$preyear""$premonth""$preday"23
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------- DECUMULATE VARIABLES
 for i in ${!vars_nout[@]}; do
    if [ ${vars_nout[$i]} = "ACSSRD" ] || [ ${vars_nout[$i]} = "ACSTRD" ] || [ ${vars_nout[$i]} = "ACTP" ] ; then
-            
+
       echo -e "\033[36m PROCESSING ${vars_nout[$i]} \033[0m"
 
-      FILES=OUTPUTS/${vars_name[$i]}/ERA5_"${vars_nout[$i]}"_"$year"* 
-      prev_file="OUTPUTS/${vars_name[$i]}/ERA5_"${vars_nout[$i]}"_""$last_year"123123 
+      FILES=OUTPUTS/${vars_name[$i]}/ERA5_"${vars_nout[$i]}"_"$inyear"*
+      prev_file="OUTPUTS/${vars_name[$i]}/ERA5_"${vars_nout[$i]}"_""$preyear""$premonth""$preday"23
 
       for f in $FILES; do
          # Find the hour reading the last two digits of the filename
@@ -116,7 +123,7 @@ for i in ${!vars_nout[@]}; do
          # Decumulate the 02-24 fields and copy the 01 data from accumulated to instantaneous variable
          if [[ "$hour" = "01" ]]; then
             echo -e "\033[32m We are at 01: cp $f to $outfile  \033[0m"
-            cp $f $outfile  
+            cp $f $outfile
          else
             echo -e "\033[33m Decumulating: $f less $prev_file saved to $outfile  \033[0m"
             cdo -s -sub $f $prev_file $outfile
@@ -141,12 +148,12 @@ echo ""
 
 echo -e "\033[32m o-----------------> PART 3: COMPUTING SPECIFIC HUMIDITY \033[0m"
 
-FILES=OUTPUTS/2D/ERA5_2D_"$year"*
- 
+FILES=OUTPUTS/2D/ERA5_2D_"$inyear"*
+
 for f in $FILES; do
    outfile1=$(sed 's/'2D'/'E'/g' <<< $f)
    echo -e "\033[33m Computing saturated water pressure from $f and save results to $outfile1  \033[0m"
-   cdo -s -expr,"var1=6.112*exp(17.67*(var168-273.15)/(var168-273.15+243.5))" $f $outfile1 
+   cdo -s -expr,"var1=6.112*exp(17.67*(var168-273.15)/(var168-273.15+243.5))" $f $outfile1
 
    mkdir -p OUTPUTS/TMP
    SP_file=$(sed 's/'2D'/'SP'/g' <<< $f)
@@ -166,9 +173,9 @@ echo ""
 #################################################################################################
 
 rm OUTPUTS/*.grb
-rm OUTPUTS/TP/ERA5_ACTP_"$year"*
-rm OUTPUTS/SSRD/ERA5_ACSSRD_"$year"*
-rm OUTPUTS/STRD/ERA5_ACSTRD_"$year"*
+rm OUTPUTS/TP/ERA5_ACTP_"$inyear"*
+rm OUTPUTS/SSRD/ERA5_ACSSRD_"$inyear"*
+rm OUTPUTS/STRD/ERA5_ACSTRD_"$inyear"*
 rm -rf OUTPUTS/TMP
 rm -rf OUTPUTS/E
 
@@ -180,3 +187,4 @@ rm -rf OUTPUTS/E
 
 echo -e "\033[32m o-----------------> ALL DONE  \033[0m"
 echo ""
+
diff --git a/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/extract_era5_init.py b/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/extract_era5_init.py
index 6390a31..b2a7553 100644
--- a/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/extract_era5_init.py
+++ b/hrldas/HRLDAS_forcing/run/examples/ERA5/extract_era5_init.py
@@ -10,24 +10,27 @@
 import sys,os
 
 ### create date arrays
-yr   = "01"
-date = "1001"
-cc   = "20"   # Manually set the century
+year  = "2023"
+month = "11"
+day   = "01"
 
 vars_name = ["SKT","SD","STL1","STL2","STL3","STL4","SWVL1","SWVL2","SWVL3","SWVL4"]
 vars_time = ["hr fcst:","hr fcst:","hr fcst:","hr fcst:","hr fcst:","hr acc:","hr acc:","hr acc:"]
 
-data_dir = "/glade/scratch/zhezhang/ERA5/land/"
-infile  = data_dir+"ERA5_global_2001-10-01_init.grib"
-results_dir = "/glade/scratch/zhezhang/ERA5/land/extract/INIT/"
+data_dir = "../../../ERA5_forcing/"
+infile  = data_dir+"ERA5-Land-Noah-MP-2023_11_01_INIT.grib"
+results_dir = "./OUTPUT/INIT/"
+
+os.system("mkdir -p "+results_dir)
 
 for var in range(10):
-    print "working on time: ",cc+yr+date+"00"
-    dcommand = "d="+cc+yr+date+"00:"+vars_name[var]
-    outfile= results_dir+"/ERA5_"+vars_name[var]+"_"+cc+yr+date+"00"
+    print("working on time: ",year+month+day+"00")
+    dcommand = "d="+year+month+day+"00:"+vars_name[var]
+    outfile= results_dir+"/ERA5_"+vars_name[var]+"_"+year+month+day+"00"
     if not os.path.exists(outfile):
         os.system("wgrib -s -4yr "+infile+" | grep '"+dcommand+"' | wgrib -i -grib "+infile+" -o "+outfile)
     else:
-        print "file exist, move to next one"
+        print("file exist, move to next one")
+
+print("Successfully extract necessary variables!")
 
-print "Successfully extract necessary variables!"