diff --git a/physics/module_sf_ruclsm.F90 b/physics/module_sf_ruclsm.F90
index ea5800736..802d9003c 100644
--- a/physics/module_sf_ruclsm.F90
+++ b/physics/module_sf_ruclsm.F90
@@ -431,8 +431,8 @@ SUBROUTINE LSMRUC(                                           &
 !!    or ~100 mm of snow height
 !
 !           snowc(i,j) = min(1.,snow(i,j)/32.)
-           soilt1(i,j)=soilt(i,j)
-          if(snow(i,j).le.32.) soilt1(i,j)=tso(i,1,j)
+!           soilt1(i,j)=soilt(i,j)
+!          if(snow(i,j).le.32.) soilt1(i,j)=tso(i,1,j)
 !>  - Initializing inside snow temp if it is not defined
         IF((soilt1(i,j) .LT. 170.) .or. (soilt1(i,j) .GT.400.)) THEN
             IF(snow(i,j).gt.32.) THEN
@@ -450,7 +450,9 @@ SUBROUTINE LSMRUC(                                           &
            patmb=P8w(i,kms,j)*1.e-2
            QSG  (i,j) = QSN(SOILT(i,j),TBQ)/PATMB
         IF((qvg(i,j) .LE. 0.) .or. (qvg(i,j) .GT.0.1)) THEN
-           qvg  (i,j) = QSG(i,j)*mavail(i,j)
+           !17sept19 - bad approximation with very low mavail.
+           !qvg(i,j) = QSG(i,j)*mavail(i,j)
+           qvg  (i,j) = qv3d(i,1,j)
           IF (debug_print ) THEN
            print *, &
           'QVG is initialized in RUCLSM ', qvg(i,j),mavail(i,j),qsg(i,j),i,j
@@ -751,7 +753,7 @@ SUBROUTINE LSMRUC(                                           &
          meltfactor = 0.85
 
          do k=2,nzs
-         if(zsmain(k).ge.1.0) then
+         if(zsmain(k).ge.1.1) then
             NROOT=K
             goto  111
          endif
diff --git a/physics/sfc_drv_ruc.F90 b/physics/sfc_drv_ruc.F90
index a16cfc334..f60db7129 100644
--- a/physics/sfc_drv_ruc.F90
+++ b/physics/sfc_drv_ruc.F90
@@ -560,13 +560,15 @@ subroutine lsm_ruc_run                                            & ! inputs
         !prcp(i,j)       = rhoh2o * tprcp(i)                   ! tprcp in [m] - convective plus explicit
         !raincv(i,j)     = rhoh2o * rainc(i)                   ! total time-step convective precip
         !rainncv(i,j)    = rhoh2o * max(rain(i)-rainc(i),0.0)  ! total time-step explicit precip 
-        !graupelncv(i,j) = rhoh2o * graupel(i)
-        !snowncv(i,j)    = rhoh2o * snow(i)
-        prcp(i,j)       = rhoh2o * (rainc(i)+rainnc(i))        ! tprcp in [m] - convective plus explicit
-        raincv(i,j)     = rhoh2o * rainc(i)                    ! total time-step convective precip
-        rainncv(i,j)    = rhoh2o * rainnc(i)                   ! total time-step explicit precip 
+        prcp(i,j)       = rhoh2o * (rainc(i)+rainnc(i))        ! [mm] - convective plus explicit
+        raincv(i,j)     = rhoh2o * rainc(i)                    ! [mm] - total time-step convective precip
+        rainncv(i,j)    = rhoh2o * rainnc(i)                   ! [mm] - total time-step explicit precip 
         graupelncv(i,j) = rhoh2o * graupel(i)
         snowncv(i,j)    = rhoh2o * snow(i)
+    !if(prcp(i,j) > 0. .and. i==21) then
+    !print *,'prcp(i,j),rainncv(i,j),graupelncv(i,j),snowncv(i,j),ffrozp(i,j)',i,j, &
+    !    prcp(i,j),rainncv(i,j),graupelncv(i,j),snowncv(i,j),ffrozp(i,j)
+    !endif
         ! ice not used
         ! precipfr(i,j)   = rainncv(i,j) * ffrozp(i,j)
 
@@ -694,7 +696,7 @@ subroutine lsm_ruc_run                                            & ! inputs
         znt(i,j) = zorl(i)/100.
 
         if(debug_print) then
-          !if(me==0 .and. i==ipr) then
+          if(me==0 .and. i==ipr) then
             write (0,*)'before RUC smsoil = ',smsoil(i,:,j), i,j
             write (0,*)'stsoil = ',stsoil(i,:,j), i,j
             write (0,*)'soilt = ',soilt(i,j), i,j
@@ -788,7 +790,7 @@ subroutine lsm_ruc_run                                            & ! inputs
             write (0,*)'shdmin1d(i,j) =',i,j,shdmin1d(i,j)
             write (0,*)'shdmax1d(i,j) =',i,j,shdmax1d(i,j)
             write (0,*)'rdlai2d =',rdlai2d
-          !endif
+          endif
         endif
 
 !> - Call RUC LSM lsmruc(). 
@@ -828,6 +830,7 @@ subroutine lsm_ruc_run                                            & ! inputs
      &          its,ite, jts,jte, kts,kte                                    )
 
         if(debug_print) then
+          !if(me==0 .and. i==ipr) then
           write (0,*)'after sneqv(i,j) =',i,j,sneqv(i,j)
           write (0,*)'after snowh(i,j) =',i,j,snowh(i,j)
           write (0,*)'after sncovr(i,j) =',i,j,sncovr(i,j)