diff --git a/src/gsi/setuprad.f90 b/src/gsi/setuprad.f90
index 1ff2474e20..856715d4c2 100644
--- a/src/gsi/setuprad.f90
+++ b/src/gsi/setuprad.f90
@@ -1801,6 +1801,7 @@ subroutine setuprad(obsLL,odiagLL,lunin,mype,aivals,stats,nchanl,nreal,nobs,&
         diagadd=zero
         account_for_corr_obs = .false.
         varinv0=zero
+        raterr2 = zero
 !$omp parallel do  schedule(dynamic,1) private(ii,m,k,asum)
         do ii=1,nchanl
            m=ich(ii)