diff --git a/pcmdi_metrics/mean_climate/lib/compute_metrics.py b/pcmdi_metrics/mean_climate/lib/compute_metrics.py
index c69c4ad80..b974cfd43 100644
--- a/pcmdi_metrics/mean_climate/lib/compute_metrics.py
+++ b/pcmdi_metrics/mean_climate/lib/compute_metrics.py
@@ -51,10 +51,7 @@ def compute_metrics(Var, dm, do, debug=False, time_dim_sync=False):
     dm = dm.bounds.add_missing_bounds()
     do = do.bounds.add_missing_bounds()
 
-    if var in ["hus"]:
-        sig_digits = ".5f"
-    else:
-        sig_digits = ".3f"
+    float_format = "{:.5e}"
 
     # CALCULATE ANNUAL CYCLE SPACE-TIME RMS, CORRELATIONS and STD
     print("metrics-CALCULATE ANNUAL CYCLE SPACE-TIME RMS, CORRELATIONS and STD")
@@ -156,23 +153,23 @@ def compute_metrics(Var, dm, do, debug=False, time_dim_sync=False):
     ):
         metrics_dictionary[stat] = OrderedDict()
 
-    metrics_dictionary["mean-obs_xy"]["ann"] = format(meanObs_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["mean_xy"]["ann"] = format(mean_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xy"]["ann"] = format(stdObs_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["std_xy"]["ann"] = format(std_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xyt"]["ann"] = format(stdObs_xyt, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["std_xyt"]["ann"] = format(std_xyt, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xy_devzm"]["ann"] = format(stdObs_xy_devzm, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["std_xy_devzm"]["ann"] = format(std_xy_devzm, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["rms_xyt"]["ann"] = format(rms_xyt, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["rms_xy"]["ann"] = format(rms_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["rmsc_xy"]["ann"] = format(rmsc_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["cor_xy"]["ann"] = format(cor_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["bias_xy"]["ann"] = format(bias_xy, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["mae_xy"]["ann"] = format(mae_xy, sig_digits)
+    metrics_dictionary["mean-obs_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(meanObs_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["mean_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(mean_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(stdObs_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["std_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(std_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xyt"]["ann"] = float_format.format(stdObs_xyt)
+    metrics_dictionary["std_xyt"]["ann"] = float_format.format(std_xyt)
+    metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xy_devzm"]["ann"] = float_format.format(stdObs_xy_devzm)
+    metrics_dictionary["std_xy_devzm"]["ann"] = float_format.format(std_xy_devzm)
+    metrics_dictionary["rms_xyt"]["ann"] = float_format.format(rms_xyt)
+    metrics_dictionary["rms_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(rms_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["rmsc_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(rmsc_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["cor_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(cor_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["bias_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(bias_xy)
+    metrics_dictionary["mae_xy"]["ann"] = float_format.format(mae_xy)
     # ZONAL MEAN CONTRIBUTIONS
-    metrics_dictionary["rms_y"]["ann"] = format(rms_y, sig_digits)
-    metrics_dictionary["rms_devzm"]["ann"] = format(rms_xy_devzm, sig_digits)
+    metrics_dictionary["rms_y"]["ann"] = float_format.format(rms_y)
+    metrics_dictionary["rms_devzm"]["ann"] = float_format.format(rms_xy_devzm)
 
     # CALCULATE SEASONAL MEANS
     for sea in ["djf", "mam", "jja", "son"]:
@@ -194,15 +191,15 @@ def compute_metrics(Var, dm, do, debug=False, time_dim_sync=False):
         meanObs_xy_sea = stats.mean_xy(do_sea, var)
         mean_xy_sea = stats.mean_xy(dm_sea, var)
 
-        metrics_dictionary["bias_xy"][sea] = format(bias_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["rms_xy"][sea] = format(rms_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["rmsc_xy"][sea] = format(rmsc_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["cor_xy"][sea] = format(cor_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["mae_xy"][sea] = format(mae_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xy"][sea] = format(stdObs_xy_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["std_xy"][sea] = format(std_xy_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["mean-obs_xy"][sea] = format(meanObs_xy_sea, sig_digits)
-        metrics_dictionary["mean_xy"][sea] = format(mean_xy_sea, sig_digits)
+        metrics_dictionary["bias_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(bias_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["rms_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(rms_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["rmsc_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(rmsc_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["cor_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(cor_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["mae_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(mae_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["std-obs_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(stdObs_xy_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["std_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(std_xy_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["mean-obs_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(meanObs_xy_sea)
+        metrics_dictionary["mean_xy"][sea] = float_format.format(mean_xy_sea)
 
     rms_mo_l = []
     rmsc_mo_l = []
@@ -248,15 +245,15 @@ def compute_metrics(Var, dm, do, debug=False, time_dim_sync=False):
         meanObs_xy_mo = stats.mean_xy(do_mo, var)
         mean_xy_mo = stats.mean_xy(dm_mo, var)
 
-        rms_mo_l.append(format(rms_mo, sig_digits))
-        rmsc_mo_l.append(format(rmsc_mo, sig_digits))
-        cor_mo_l.append(format(cor_mo, sig_digits))
-        mae_mo_l.append(format(mae_mo, sig_digits))
-        bias_mo_l.append(format(bias_mo, sig_digits))
-        stdObs_xy_mo_l.append(format(stdObs_xy_mo, sig_digits))
-        std_xy_mo_l.append(format(std_xy_mo, sig_digits))
-        meanObs_xy_mo_l.append(format(meanObs_xy_mo, sig_digits))
-        mean_xy_mo_l.append(format(mean_xy_mo, sig_digits))
+        rms_mo_l.append(float_format.format(rms_mo))
+        rmsc_mo_l.append(float_format.format(rmsc_mo))
+        cor_mo_l.append(float_format.format(cor_mo))
+        mae_mo_l.append(float_format.format(mae_mo))
+        bias_mo_l.append(float_format.format(bias_mo))
+        stdObs_xy_mo_l.append(float_format.format(stdObs_xy_mo))
+        std_xy_mo_l.append(float_format.format(std_xy_mo))
+        meanObs_xy_mo_l.append(float_format.format(meanObs_xy_mo))
+        mean_xy_mo_l.append(float_format.format(mean_xy_mo))
 
     metrics_dictionary["bias_xy"]["CalendarMonths"] = bias_mo_l
     metrics_dictionary["rms_xy"]["CalendarMonths"] = rms_mo_l