diff --git a/forcingprocessor/src/forcingprocessor/forcingprocessor.py b/forcingprocessor/src/forcingprocessor/forcingprocessor.py
index b5893f5e..ce6b05ad 100644
--- a/forcingprocessor/src/forcingprocessor/forcingprocessor.py
+++ b/forcingprocessor/src/forcingprocessor/forcingprocessor.py
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ def prep_ngen_data(conf):
     global ii_verbose
     ii_verbose = conf["run"].get("verbose",False) 
     ii_collect_stats = conf["run"].get("collect_stats",True)
+    ii_tar = conf["run"].get("ii_tar",True)
     proc_threads = conf["run"].get("proc_threads",None)
     write_threads = conf["run"].get("write_threads",None)
     nfile_chunk = conf["run"].get("nfile_chunk",None)
@@ -579,7 +580,7 @@ def prep_ngen_data(conf):
         jnwm_files = nwm_forcing_files[start:end]
         t0 = time.perf_counter()
         if ii_verbose: print(f'Entering data extraction...\n')
-        # [data_array, t_ax] = forcing_grid2catchment(crosswalk_dict, jnwm_files, var_list, fs)
+        # [data_array, t_ax] = forcing_grid2catchment(crosswalk_dict, jnwm_files, fs)
         data_array, t_ax = multiprocess_data_extract(jnwm_files,proc_threads,crosswalk_dict,fs)
         t_extract = time.perf_counter() - t0
         complexity = (nfiles_tot * ncatchments) / 10000
@@ -744,48 +745,50 @@ def prep_ngen_data(conf):
         
         meta_time = time.perf_counter() - t000
 
-    if ii_verbose: print(f'\nWriting tarball...')
-    
-    if storage_type.lower() == 's3':
-        path = "/metadata/forcings_metadata/"
-        combined_tar_filename = 'forcings.tar.gz'
-    else:
-        path = str(metaf_path)
-        combined_tar_filename = str(forcing_path) + '/forcings.tar.gz'
-    with tarfile.open(combined_tar_filename, 'w:gz') as combined_tar:        
-        if ii_collect_stats:
-            buf = BytesIO() 
-
-            filename = f"metadata." + output_file_type
-            metadata_df.to_csv(buf, index=False)
-            buf.seek(0)
-            tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(name=path + filename)
-            tarinfo.size = len(buf.getvalue())
-            combined_tar.addfile(tarinfo, fileobj=buf)    
+    if ii_tar:
+        if ii_verbose: print(f'\nWriting tarball...')
+        t0000 = time.perf_counter()
+        if storage_type.lower() == 's3':
+            path = "/metadata/forcings_metadata/"
+            combined_tar_filename = 'forcings.tar.gz'
+        else:
+            path = str(metaf_path)
+            combined_tar_filename = str(forcing_path) + '/forcings.tar.gz'
+        with tarfile.open(combined_tar_filename, 'w:gz') as combined_tar:        
+            if ii_collect_stats:
+                buf = BytesIO() 
+
+                filename = f"metadata." + output_file_type
+                metadata_df.to_csv(buf, index=False)
+                buf.seek(0)
+                tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(name=path + filename)
+                tarinfo.size = len(buf.getvalue())
+                combined_tar.addfile(tarinfo, fileobj=buf)    
 
-            filename = f"catchments_avg." + output_file_type
-            avg_df.to_csv(buf, index=False)
-            buf.seek(0)
-            tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(name=path + filename)
-            tarinfo.size = len(buf.getvalue())
-            combined_tar.addfile(tarinfo, fileobj=buf)    
+                filename = f"catchments_avg." + output_file_type
+                avg_df.to_csv(buf, index=False)
+                buf.seek(0)
+                tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(name=path + filename)
+                tarinfo.size = len(buf.getvalue())
+                combined_tar.addfile(tarinfo, fileobj=buf)    
 
-            filename = f"catchments_median." + output_file_type
-            med_df.to_csv(buf, index=False)
-            buf.seek(0)
-            tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(name=path + filename)
-            tarinfo.size = len(buf.getvalue())
-            combined_tar.addfile(tarinfo, fileobj=buf)    
-         
-        for j, jdf in enumerate(dfs):
-            jfilename = filenames[j]
-            with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as tmpfile:
-                if output_file_type == "parquet":
-                    jdf.to_parquet(tmpfile.name, index=False)
-                elif output_file_type == "csv":
-                    jdf.to_csv(tmpfile.name, index=False)
-                
-                combined_tar.add(tmpfile.name, arcname=jfilename)
+                filename = f"catchments_median." + output_file_type
+                med_df.to_csv(buf, index=False)
+                buf.seek(0)
+                tarinfo = tarfile.TarInfo(name=path + filename)
+                tarinfo.size = len(buf.getvalue())
+                combined_tar.addfile(tarinfo, fileobj=buf)    
+            
+            for j, jdf in enumerate(dfs):
+                jfilename = filenames[j]
+                with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile() as tmpfile:
+                    if output_file_type == "parquet":
+                        jdf.to_parquet(tmpfile.name, index=False)
+                    elif output_file_type == "csv":
+                        jdf.to_csv(tmpfile.name, index=False)
+                    
+                    combined_tar.add(tmpfile.name, arcname=jfilename)
+    tar_time = time.perf_counter() - t0000
 
     if storage_type == 'S3':
         with open(combined_tar_filename, 'rb') as combined_tar:
@@ -802,6 +805,9 @@ def prep_ngen_data(conf):
         if ii_collect_stats: 
             runtime += meta_time
             msg += f"\nCollect stats : {meta_time:.2f}s"
+        if ii_tar:
+            runtime += tar_time
+            msg += f"\nWrite tar     : {tar_time:.2f}s"
         msg += f"\nRuntime       : {runtime:.2f}s\n"
         print(msg)