diff --git a/scripts/exgdas_atmos_analysis_wdqms.sh b/scripts/exgdas_atmos_analysis_wdqms.sh
index f4162bd30a..73ccfca45a 100755
--- a/scripts/exgdas_atmos_analysis_wdqms.sh
+++ b/scripts/exgdas_atmos_analysis_wdqms.sh
@@ -51,10 +51,10 @@ export err=$?
 for diagfile in "${INPUT_LIST[@]}"; do
   tar -xvf "${CNVSTAT}" "${diagfile}.gz"
   export err=$?
-  (( err != 0 )) && ( msg="Unable to extract '${diagfile}.gz' from '${CNVSTAT}'"; err_exit "${msg}" )
+  (( err != 0 )) && ( msg="FATAL ERROR: Unable to extract '${diagfile}.gz' from '${CNVSTAT}', ABORT!"; err_exit "${msg}" )
   gunzip "${diagfile}.gz"
   export err=$?
-  (( err != 0 )) && ( msg="Unable to gunzip '${diagfile}.gz'"; err_exit "${msg}" )
+  (( err != 0 )) && ( msg="FATAL ERROR: Unable to gunzip '${diagfile}.gz', ABORT!"; err_exit "${msg}" )
 done
 
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