diff --git a/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py b/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
index 17c62c99b22c8f27d9378ede51fca7d26bed710c..b75660890fb79ac56fad634c2cff84c97ccf536e 100755
--- a/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
+++ b/dartwrf/assim_synth_obs.py
@@ -283,16 +283,20 @@ def set_obserr_assimilate_in_obsseqout(oso, outfile="./obs_seq.out"):
         where_oso_iskind = oso.df.kind == kind
         
         if obscfg["error_assimilate"] == False:
-            osf_prior = obsseq.ObsSeq(cluster.dartrundir + "/obs_seq.final")  # this file will be generated by `evaluate()`
+            # osf_prior = obsseq.ObsSeq(cluster.dartrundir + "/obs_seq.final")  # this file will be generated by `evaluate()`
             
-            where_osf_iskind = osf_prior.df.kind == kind
+            # where_osf_iskind = osf_prior.df.kind == kind
 
-            assim_err = get_parametrized_error(obscfg, osf_prior.df[where_osf_iskind])
-            oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = assim_err**2
+            # assim_err = get_parametrized_error(obscfg, osf_prior.df[where_osf_iskind])
+            # oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = assim_err**2
             #assert np.allclose(assim_err, oso.df['variance']**2)  # check
+            pass
         else:
             # overwrite with user-defined values
-            oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = obscfg["error_assimilate"]**2
+            try:
+                oso.df.loc[where_oso_iskind, 'variance'] = obscfg["error_assimilate"]**2
+            except:
+                pass
 
     oso.to_dart(outfile)
 
@@ -532,7 +536,7 @@ def main(time, prior_init_time, prior_valid_time, prior_path_exp):
     do_QC = getattr(exp, "reject_smallFGD", False)  # True: triggers additional evaluations of prior & posterior
 
     # for which observation type do we have a parametrized observation error?
-    error_is_parametrized = [obscfg["error_assimilate"] == False for obscfg in exp.observations]
+    # error_is_parametrized = [obscfg["error_assimilate"] == False for obscfg in exp.observations]
 
     # create directory to run DART in
     archive_time = cluster.archivedir + time.strftime("/%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M/")
@@ -556,9 +560,9 @@ def main(time, prior_init_time, prior_valid_time, prior_path_exp):
     oso = get_obsseq_out(time)
 
     # is any observation error parametrized?
-    if any(error_is_parametrized) or do_QC:
-        print(" (optional) evaluate prior for all observations (incl rejected)")
-        evaluate(time, output_format="%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M_obs_seq.final-eval_prior_allobs")
+    # if any(error_is_parametrized) or do_QC:
+    #     print(" (optional) evaluate prior for all observations (incl rejected)")
+    #     evaluate(time, output_format="%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M_obs_seq.final-eval_prior_allobs")
 
     print(" assign observation-errors for assimilation ")
     set_obserr_assimilate_in_obsseqout(oso, outfile=cluster.dartrundir + "/obs_seq.out")