diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fc1c342b..ee86d047 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ parm/*.db
 parm/*.out
 parm/*.err
 parm/*.log
+parm/parm_xml.yaml
 parm/land_analysis.yaml
 parm/log.*
 
diff --git a/sorc/test/create_bkg_ens.sh b/sorc/test/create_bkg_ens.sh
index 2a3b97e6..3fda79de 100755
--- a/sorc/test/create_bkg_ens.sh
+++ b/sorc/test/create_bkg_ens.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-set -e
+set -ex
 ################################################
 # pass arguments
 project_binary_dir=$1
@@ -35,16 +35,20 @@ if [[ ${DAtype} == 'letkfoi_snow' ]]; then
       cp $i ${WORKDIR}/mem_${ens}
     done
 
-    cres_file=$WORKDIR/mem_${ens}/${FILEDATE}.coupler.res
-    cp ${project_source_dir}/../parm/templates/template.coupler.res $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXYYYY/${YY}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXMM/${MM}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXDD/${DD}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXHH/${HH}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXYYYP/${YP}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXMP/${MP}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXDP/${DP}/g" $cres_file
-    sed -i -e "s/XXHP/${HP}/g" $cres_file
+    # update coupler.res file
+    settings="\
+      'yyyy': !!str ${YY}
+      'mm': !!str ${MM}
+      'dd': !!str ${DD}
+      'hh': !!str ${HH}
+      'yyyp': !!str ${YP}
+      'mp': !!str ${MP}
+      'dp': !!str ${DP}
+      'hp': !!str ${HP}
+    " # End of settins variable
+    fp_template="${project_source_dir}/../parm/templates/template.coupler.res"
+    fn_namelist="${WORKDIR}/mem_${ens}/${FILEDATE}.coupler.res"
+    ${project_source_dir}/../ush/fill_jinja_template.py -u "${settings}" -t "${fp_template}" -o "${fn_namelist}"
   done
 
   echo "============================= calling create ensemble"
diff --git a/sorc/test/test_letkfoi_snowda.sh b/sorc/test/test_letkfoi_snowda.sh
index 74e75a1c..505baf6f 100755
--- a/sorc/test/test_letkfoi_snowda.sh
+++ b/sorc/test/test_letkfoi_snowda.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-set -e
+set -ex
 ################################################
 # pass arguments
 project_binary_dir=$1
@@ -48,21 +48,30 @@ do
   ln -fs $obs_file ./${OBS_TYPES[$ii]}_${YY}${MM}${DD}${HH}.nc 
 done
 
-sed -i -e "s/XXYYYY/${YY}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXMM/${MM}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXDD/${DD}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXHH/${HH}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXYYYP/${YP}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXMP/${MP}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXDP/${DP}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXHP/${HP}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXTSTUB/${TSTUB}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s#XXTPATH#${TPATH}#g" letkf_land.yaml
-#sed -i -e "s#DATAPATH#${OROG_PATH}#g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXRES/${RES}/g" letkf_land.yaml
 RESP1=$((RES+1))
-sed -i -e "s/XXREP/${RESP1}/g" letkf_land.yaml
-sed -i -e "s/XXHOFX/false/g" letkf_land.yaml  # do DA
+yyyymmdd="${YY}${MM}${DD}"
+yyyymmddhh="${yyyymmdd}${HH}"
+# update jedi yaml file
+settings="\
+  'yyyy': !!str ${YY}
+  'mm': !!str ${MM}
+  'dd': !!str ${DD}
+  'hh': !!str ${HH}
+  'yyyymmdd': !!str ${yyyymmdd}
+  'yyyymmddhh': !!str ${yyyymmddhh}
+  'yyyp': !!str ${YP}
+  'mp': !!str ${MP}
+  'dp': !!str ${DP}
+  'hp': !!str ${HP}
+  'tstub': ${TSTUB}
+  'tpath': ${TPATH}
+  'res': ${RES}
+  'resp1': ${RESP1}
+  'driver_obs_only': false
+" # End of settins variable
+fp_template="letkf_land.yaml"
+fn_namelist="letkf_land.yaml"
+${project_source_dir}/../ush/fill_jinja_template.py -u "${settings}" -t "${fp_template}" -o "${fn_namelist}"
 
 # create folder for hofx
 mkdir -p ./output/DA/hofx