diff --git a/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh b/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh
index 6a7eaa90b2..10dcf6e397 100755
--- a/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh
+++ b/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ mm=${yyyymmddhh:4:2}
 dd=${yyyymmddhh:6:2}
 hh=${yyyymmddhh:8:2}
 
+# Set to use the pre-defined data paths in the machine file (ush/machine/).
+PDYext=${yyyymmdd}
+cycext=${hh}
 #
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
diff --git a/ush/machine/wcoss2.yaml b/ush/machine/wcoss2.yaml
index 4a9bfcab50..8da45bc208 100644
--- a/ush/machine/wcoss2.yaml
+++ b/ush/machine/wcoss2.yaml
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ task_run_fcst:
   FIXgsm: /lfs/h2/emc/lam/noscrub/UFS_SRW_App/develop/fix/fix_am
   FIXlut: /lfs/h2/emc/lam/noscrub/UFS_SRW_App/develop/fix/fix_lut
 data:
-  GSMGFS: compath.py ${envir}/gsmgfs/${gsmgfs_ver}/gsmgfs.${PDY}
-  FV3GFS: compath.py ${envir}/gfs/${gfs_ver}/gfs.${PDY}/${hh}/atmos
-  RAP: compath.py ${envir}/rap/${rap_ver}/rap.${PDY}
-  NAM: compath.py ${envir}/nam/${nam_ver}/nam.${PDY}
-  HRRR: compath.py ${envir}/hrrr/${hrrr_ver}/hrrr.${PDY}/conus
+  GSMGFS: compath.py ${envir}/gsmgfs/${gsmgfs_ver}/gsmgfs.${PDYext}
+  FV3GFS: compath.py ${envir}/gfs/${gfs_ver}/gfs.${PDYext}/${cycext}/atmos
+  RAP: compath.py ${envir}/rap/${rap_ver}/rap.${PDYext}
+  NAM: compath.py ${envir}/nam/${nam_ver}/nam.${PDYext}
+  HRRR: compath.py ${envir}/hrrr/${hrrr_ver}/hrrr.${PDYext}/conus