diff --git a/ush/forecast_postdet.sh b/ush/forecast_postdet.sh
index 34d6bed67f..caf559c5b0 100755
--- a/ush/forecast_postdet.sh
+++ b/ush/forecast_postdet.sh
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ WW3_postdet() {
   if [[ -s "${ww3_netcdf_restart_file}" ]]; then 
     export WW3_restart_from_binary=false 
     seconds=$(to_seconds "${restart_date:8:2}0000")  # convert HHMMSS to seconds
-    ww3_restart_dest_file="ufs.cpld.ww3.r.${restart_date:0:4}-${restart_date:4:2}-${restart_date:6:2}-${seconds}.nc"
+    local ww3_restart_dest_file="ufs.cpld.ww3.r.${restart_date:0:4}-${restart_date:4:2}-${restart_date:6:2}-${seconds}.nc"
     ${NCP} "${ww3_restart_file}" "${DATA}/${ww3_restart_dest_file}" \
              || ( echo "FATAL ERROR: Unable to copy WW3 IC, ABORT!"; exit 1 )
   elif [[ -s "${ww3_binary_restart_file}" ]]; then