diff --git a/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_cases.F b/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_cases.F
index fb67a5164b..dc3dbc232e 100644
--- a/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_cases.F
+++ b/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_cases.F
@@ -3585,6 +3585,7 @@ subroutine init_atm_case_gfs(block, mesh, nCells, nEdges, nVertLevels, fg, state
              trim(field % field) == 'PRESSURE' .or. &
              trim(field % field) == 'SNOW' .or. &
              trim(field % field) == 'SEAICE' .or. &
+             trim(field % field) == 'SST' .or. &
              trim(field % field) == 'SKINTEMP') then
 
             if (trim(field % field) == 'SM000010' .or. &
@@ -4561,6 +4562,13 @@ subroutine init_atm_case_gfs(block, mesh, nCells, nEdges, nVertLevels, fg, state
                lonPoints => lonCell
                call mpas_pool_get_array(fg, 'xice', destField1d)
                ndims = 1
+            else if (trim(field % field) == 'SST') then
+               call mpas_log_write('Interpolating SST')
+               nInterpPoints = nCells
+               latPoints => latCell
+               lonPoints => lonCell
+               call mpas_pool_get_array(fg, 'sst', destField1d)
+               ndims = 1
             else if (trim(field % field) == 'SKINTEMP') then
                call mpas_log_write('Interpolating SKINTEMP')
                nInterpPoints = nCells
diff --git a/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_surface.F b/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_surface.F
index bb68b6942e..31071d901b 100644
--- a/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_surface.F
+++ b/src/core_init_atmosphere/mpas_init_atm_surface.F
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ subroutine interp_sfc_to_MPAS(timeString, mesh, fg, dims, dminfo, config_sfc_pre
  do while (istatus == 0)
 
     !sea-surface data:
-    if((trim(field % field) == 'SKINTEMP') .or. (trim(field % field) ==  'SST')) then
+    if(trim(field % field) ==  'SST') then
 !      call mpas_log_write('... Processing SST:')
        sst(1:nCells) = 0.0_RKIND
        destField1d => sst