diff --git a/neural_lam/models/ar_model.py b/neural_lam/models/ar_model.py
index 0585b8e..dda5ac0 100644
--- a/neural_lam/models/ar_model.py
+++ b/neural_lam/models/ar_model.py
@@ -34,12 +34,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.save_hyperparameters(ignore=["datastore"])
         self.args = args
         self._datastore = datastore
-        # XXX: should be this be somewhere else?
-        split = "train"
         num_state_vars = datastore.get_num_data_vars(category="state")
         num_forcing_vars = datastore.get_num_data_vars(category="forcing")
         da_static_features = datastore.get_dataarray(
-            category="static", split=split
+            category="static", split=None
         )
         da_state_stats = datastore.get_standardization_dataarray(
             category="state"