diff --git a/modules/util/acspo_validate.py b/modules/util/acspo_validate.py
index 2dd946ab123a0ffdf48f0f68b14d81aa70b4f3ce..207754f205bd359d9b9c82940780f07153e5a8e7 100644
--- a/modules/util/acspo_validate.py
+++ b/modules/util/acspo_validate.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.001, outfile_nc=None):
     overlap_shape = lon_cspp.shape
     print('overlap shape, size: ', overlap_shape, np.size(lon_cspp))
 
-    # check lon/lat arrays
+    # check lon/lat arrays ------------------------------------
     print(np.sum(np.isclose(lon_cspp, lon_oper, rtol=rel_tol)))
     print(np.sum(np.isclose(lat_cspp, lat_oper, rtol=rel_tol)))
 
@@ -73,13 +73,13 @@ def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.001, outfile_nc=None):
     sst_oper = sst_oper_2d.flatten()
     oper_clear = oper_clear.flatten()
     cspp_clear = cspp_clear.flatten()
-    both_clear = oper_clear & cspp_clear
-    sst_cspp = sst_cspp[both_clear]
-    sst_oper = sst_oper[both_clear]
     lon_cspp = lon_cspp.flatten()
     lat_cspp = lat_cspp.flatten()
     lon_oper = lon_oper.flatten()
     lat_oper = lat_oper.flatten()
+    both_clear = oper_clear & cspp_clear
+    sst_cspp = sst_cspp[both_clear]
+    sst_oper = sst_oper[both_clear]
     lon_cspp = lon_cspp[both_clear]
     lat_cspp = lat_cspp[both_clear]
     lon_oper = lon_oper[both_clear]