diff --git a/parm/snow/ioda_bufr_python_encoder.py b/parm/snow/ioda_bufr_python_encoder.py
index 1132b416f..f8f9c0f58 100644
--- a/parm/snow/ioda_bufr_python_encoder.py
+++ b/parm/snow/ioda_bufr_python_encoder.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 def mask_container(container, mask):
     new_container = bufr.DataContainer()
     for var_name in container.list():
-        print(f" ... variable name: {var_name} ...")
         var = container.get(var_name)
         paths = container.get_paths(var_name)
         new_container.add(var_name, var[mask], paths)
@@ -14,15 +13,28 @@ def mask_container(container, mask):
     return new_container
 
 def create_obs_group(input_path):
+    """Create the ioda snow observations
+    This method:
+    - reads state of ground (sogr) and snow depth (snod)
+    - applys sogr conditions to the missing snod values
+    - removes the filled/missing snow values and creates the masked container
+    - encoders the new container. 
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    input_path
+        The input bufr file
+    """
+
     YAML_PATH = "./obs/bufr_sfcsno_mapping.yaml"
     container = bufr.Parser(input_path, YAML_PATH).parse()
 
     sogr = container.get('variables/groundState')
     snod = container.get('variables/totalSnowDepth')
-    snod[(sogr <= 11.0) | (sogr == 15.0)] = 0.0
+    snod[(sogr <= 11.0) & snod.mask] = 0.0
+    snod[(sogr == 15.0) & snod.mask] = 0.0
     container.replace('variables/totalSnowDepth', snod)
 
-    print(f" ... Remove filled/missing snow values ...")
     masked_container = mask_container(container, (~snod.mask))
 
     encoder = Encoder(YAML_PATH)