diff --git a/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh b/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh
index f3ffc2770..6f809dbf1 100755
--- a/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh
+++ b/scripts/exregional_get_extrn_mdl_files.sh
@@ -240,9 +240,9 @@ fi
 mkdir -p ${EXTRN_MDL_STAGING_DIR}
 
 if [ $RUN_ENVIR = "nco" ]; then
-    EXTRN_DEFNS="${NET}.${cycle}.${EXTRN_MDL_NAME}.${ICS_OR_LBCS}.${EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN}.sh"
+    EXTRN_DEFNS="${NET}.${cycle}.${EXTRN_MDL_NAME}.${ICS_OR_LBCS}.${EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN}.yaml"
 else
-    EXTRN_DEFNS="${EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN}.sh"
+    EXTRN_DEFNS="${EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN}.yaml"
 fi
 cmd="
 python3 -u ${USHdir}/retrieve_data.py \
diff --git a/ush/config_defaults.yaml b/ush/config_defaults.yaml
index 73ada0043..728b5f06e 100644
--- a/ush/config_defaults.yaml
+++ b/ush/config_defaults.yaml
@@ -1700,7 +1700,7 @@ task_make_ics:
   FVCOM_FILE: "fvcom.nc"
   VCOORD_FILE: "{{ workflow.FIXam }}/global_hyblev.l65.txt"
   #------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  input_files_metadata_path: '{{ task_get_extrn_ics.rundir }}/{{ workflow.EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN }}.sh'
+  input_files_metadata_path: '{{ task_get_extrn_ics.rundir }}/{{ workflow.EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN }}.yaml'
   chgres_cube:
     execution:
       executable: "{{ user.EXECdir }}/chgres_cube"
@@ -1714,33 +1714,33 @@ task_make_ics:
     namelist:
       update_values:
         config:
-          fix_dir_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}"
-          mosaic_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}/{{ 'CRES' | env }}_mosaic.halo{{ constants.NH4 }}.nc"
-          orog_dir_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}"
-          orog_files_target_grid: "{{ 'CRES' | env }}_oro_data.tile{{ constants.TILE_RGNL }}.halo{{ constants.NH4 }}.nc"
-          vcoord_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXam }}/global_hyblev.l65.txt"
-          varmap_file: "{{ user.PARMdir }}/ufs_utils/varmap_tables/GFSphys_var_map.txt"
-          data_dir_input_grid: '{{ task_get_extrn_ics.rundir }}'
-          cycle_mon: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%m') }}"
-          cycle_day: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%d') }}"
-          cycle_hour: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%H') }}"
           atm_files_input_grid: "{{ 'fn_atm' | env }}"
-          sfc_files_input_grid: "{{ 'fn_sfc' | env }}"
           convert_atm: true
-          convert_sfc: true
           convert_nst: true
-          regional: 1
-          halo_bndy: !int "{{ constants.NH4 }}"
+          convert_sfc: true
+          cycle_day: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%d') }}"
+          cycle_hour: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%H') }}"
+          cycle_mon: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%m') }}"
+          data_dir_input_grid: '{{ task_get_extrn_ics.rundir }}'
+          external_model: "FV3GFS"
+          fix_dir_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}"
           halo_blend: !int "{{ global.HALO_BLEND }}"
+          halo_bndy: !int "{{ constants.NH4 }}"
           input_type: "gaussian_nemsio" 
-          external_model: "FV3GFS"
+          lai_from_climo: true
+          minmax_vgfrc_from_climo: true
+          mosaic_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}/{{ 'CRES' | env }}_mosaic.halo{{ constants.NH4 }}.nc"
           nsoill_out: 4
-          vgtyp_from_climo: true
+          orog_dir_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}"
+          orog_files_target_grid: "{{ 'CRES' | env }}_oro_data.tile{{ constants.TILE_RGNL }}.halo{{ constants.NH4 }}.nc"
+          regional: 1
+          sfc_files_input_grid: "{{ 'fn_sfc' | env }}"
           sotyp_from_climo: true
-          vgfrc_from_climo: true
-          minmax_vgfrc_from_climo: true
-          lai_from_climo: true
           tg3_from_soil: false
+          varmap_file: "{{ user.PARMdir }}/ufs_utils/varmap_tables/GFSphys_var_map.txt"
+          vcoord_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXam }}/global_hyblev.l65.txt"
+          vgfrc_from_climo: true
+          vgtyp_from_climo: true
     rundir: '{{ task_run_fcst.rundir }}/tmp_MAKE_ICS'
   output_file_labels:
     - '{{ nco.NET_DEFAULT }}.t{{ cycle.hh }}z{{ ".mem%s" % ("MEMBER"|env) if global.DO_ENSEMBLE }}.sfc_data.tile{{ constants.TILE_RGNL }}.halo{{ constants.NH0 }}.nc'
@@ -1772,7 +1772,7 @@ task_make_lbcs:
   OMP_STACKSIZE_MAKE_LBCS: "1024m"
   VCOORD_FILE: "{{ workflow.FIXam }}/global_hyblev.l65.txt"
   #------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  input_files_metadata_path: '{{ task_get_extrn_lbcs.rundir }}/{{ workflow.EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN }}.sh'
+  input_files_metadata_path: '{{ task_get_extrn_lbcs.rundir }}/{{ workflow.EXTRN_MDL_VAR_DEFNS_FN }}.yaml'
   chgres_cube:
     execution:
       executable: "{{ user.EXECdir }}/chgres_cube"
@@ -1786,23 +1786,23 @@ task_make_lbcs:
     namelist:
       update_values:
         config:
+          atm_files_input_grid: "{{ 'fn_atm' | env }}"
+          convert_atm: true
+          cycle_day: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%d') }}"
+          cycle_hour: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%H') }}"
+          cycle_mon: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%m') }}"
+          data_dir_input_grid: '{{ task_get_extrn_lbcs.rundir }}'
+          external_model: "FV3GFS"
           fix_dir_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}"
+          halo_blend: !int "{{ global.HALO_BLEND }}"
+          halo_bndy: !int "{{ constants.NH4 }}"
+          input_type: "gaussian_nemsio" 
           mosaic_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}/{{ 'CRES' | env }}{{ workflow.DOT_OR_USCORE }}mosaic.halo{{ constants.NH4 }}.nc"
           orog_dir_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXlam }}"
           orog_files_target_grid: "{{ 'CRES' | env }}_oro_data.tile{{ constants.TILE_RGNL }}.halo{{ constants.NH4 }}.nc"
-          vcoord_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXam }}/global_hyblev.l65.txt"
-          varmap_file: "{{ user.PARMdir }}/ufs_utils/varmap_tables/GFSphys_var_map.txt"
-          data_dir_input_grid: '{{ task_get_extrn_lbcs.rundir }}'
-          cycle_mon: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%m') }}"
-          cycle_day: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%d') }}"
-          cycle_hour: !int "{{ cycle.strftime('%H') }}"
-          atm_files_input_grid: "{{ 'fn_atm' | env }}"
-          convert_atm: true
           regional: 2
-          halo_bndy: !int "{{ constants.NH4 }}"
-          halo_blend: !int "{{ global.HALO_BLEND }}"
-          input_type: "gaussian_nemsio" 
-          external_model: "FV3GFS"
+          varmap_file: "{{ user.PARMdir }}/ufs_utils/varmap_tables/GFSphys_var_map.txt"
+          vcoord_file_target_grid: "{{ workflow.FIXam }}/global_hyblev.l65.txt"
     rundir: '{{ task_run_fcst.rundir}}/tmp_MAKE_LBCS'
   output_file_labels:
     - '{{ nco.NET_DEFAULT }}.t{{ cycle.hh }}z{{ ".mem%s" % ("MEMBER"|env) if global.DO_ENSEMBLE }}.gfs_bndy.tile7.f{{ "fcst_hhh_FV3LAM" | env }}.nc'