diff --git a/mpas_analysis/ocean/ocean_modelvsobs.py b/mpas_analysis/ocean/ocean_modelvsobs.py
index fb54ff2d3..824281416 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/ocean/ocean_modelvsobs.py
+++ b/mpas_analysis/ocean/ocean_modelvsobs.py
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ def ocn_modelvsobs(config, field):
     climo_yr2 = config.getint('time', 'climo_yr2')
     yr_offset = config.getint('time', 'yr_offset')
 
-    outputTimes = config.getlist(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'comparisonTimes')
+    outputTimes = config.getExpression(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs',
+                                       'comparisonTimes')
 
     f = netcdf_dataset(meshfile,mode='r')
     lonCell = f.variables["lonCell"][:]
@@ -177,13 +178,18 @@ def ocn_modelvsobs(config, field):
     for i in range(len(outputTimes)):
         bias[i, :, :] = modelOutput[i, :, :] - observations[i, :, :]
 
-    clevsModelObs = config.getlist(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'clevsModelObs', listType=float)
-    cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'cmapModelObs'))
-    cmapIndices = config.getlist(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'cmapIndicesModelObs', listType=int)
+    clevsModelObs = config.getExpression(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs',
+                                         'clevsModelObs')
+    cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs',
+                                   'cmapModelObs'))
+    cmapIndices = config.getExpression(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs',
+                                       'cmapIndicesModelObs')
     cmapModelObs = cols.ListedColormap(cmap(cmapIndices), "cmapModelObs")
-    clevsDiff = config.getlist(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'clevsDiff', listType=float)
+    clevsDiff = config.getExpression(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs',
+                                     'clevsDiff')
     cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'cmapDiff'))
-    cmapIndices = config.getlist(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs', 'cmapIndicesDiff', listType=int)
+    cmapIndices = config.getExpression(field.lower() + '_modelvsobs',
+                                       'cmapIndicesDiff')
     cmapDiff = cols.ListedColormap(cmap(cmapIndices), "cmapDiff")
 
     for i in range(len(outputTimes)):
diff --git a/mpas_analysis/ocean/ohc_timeseries.py b/mpas_analysis/ocean/ohc_timeseries.py
index faf0eba6c..28c8f8b74 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/ocean/ohc_timeseries.py
+++ b/mpas_analysis/ocean/ohc_timeseries.py
@@ -53,9 +53,9 @@ def ohc_timeseries(config):
 
     N_movavg = config.getint('ohc_timeseries','N_movavg')
 
-    regions = config.getlist('regions','regions',listType=str)
-    plot_titles = config.getlist('regions','plot_titles',listType=str)
-    iregions = config.getlist('ohc_timeseries','regionIndicesToPlot',listType=int)
+    regions = config.getExpression('regions', 'regions')
+    plot_titles = config.getExpression('regions', 'plot_titles')
+    iregions = config.getExpression('ohc_timeseries', 'regionIndicesToPlot')
 
     # Define/read in general variables
     print "  Read in depth and compute specific depth indexes..."
diff --git a/mpas_analysis/ocean/sst_timeseries.py b/mpas_analysis/ocean/sst_timeseries.py
index 0b185d7ac..069c3d466 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/ocean/sst_timeseries.py
+++ b/mpas_analysis/ocean/sst_timeseries.py
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ def sst_timeseries(config):
 
     N_movavg = config.getint('sst_timeseries','N_movavg')
 
-    regions = config.getlist('regions','regions',listType=str)
-    plot_titles = config.getlist('regions','plot_titles',listType=str)
-    iregions = config.getlist('sst_timeseries','regionIndicesToPlot',listType=int)
+    regions = config.getExpression('regions', 'regions')
+    plot_titles = config.getExpression('regions', 'plot_titles')
+    iregions = config.getExpression('sst_timeseries', 'regionIndicesToPlot')
 
     # Load data:
     ds = xr.open_mfdataset(infiles, preprocess=lambda x: preprocess_mpas(x, yearoffset=yr_offset,
diff --git a/mpas_analysis/sea_ice/modelvsobs.py b/mpas_analysis/sea_ice/modelvsobs.py
index 9929aa12c..15e22fc24 100644
--- a/mpas_analysis/sea_ice/modelvsobs.py
+++ b/mpas_analysis/sea_ice/modelvsobs.py
@@ -172,14 +172,19 @@ def seaice_modelvsobs(config):
         else:
             plotProjection = 'spstere'
 
-        clevsModelObs = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','clevsModelObs_conc_%s'%season,listType=float)
+        clevsModelObs = config.getExpression('seaice_modelvsobs',
+                                             'clevsModelObs_conc_{}'.format(
+                                                 season))
         cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapModelObs'))
-        cmapIndices = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapIndicesModelObs',listType=int)
+        cmapIndices = config.getExpression('seaice_modelvsobs',
+                                           'cmapIndicesModelObs')
         cmapModelObs = cols.ListedColormap(cmap(cmapIndices),"cmapModelObs")
 
-        clevsDiff = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','clevsDiff_conc_%s'%season,listType=float)
+        clevsDiff = config.getExpression('seaice_modelvsobs',
+                                         'clevsDiff_conc_{}'.format(season))
         cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapDiff'))
-        cmapIndices = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapIndicesDiff',listType=int)
+        cmapIndices = config.getExpression('seaice_modelvsobs',
+                                           'cmapIndicesDiff')
         cmapDiff = cols.ListedColormap(cmap(cmapIndices),"cmapDiff")
 
         lon0 = config.getfloat('seaice_modelvsobs','lon0_%s'%hemisphere)
@@ -259,14 +264,20 @@ def seaice_modelvsobs(config):
             #  ...and observations
             # ice concentrations from NASATeam (or Bootstrap) algorithm
 
-            clevsModelObs = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','clevsModelObs_thick_%s'%hemisphere,listType=float)
+            clevsModelObs = config.getExpression(
+                'seaice_modelvsobs',
+                'clevsModelObs_thick_{}'.format(hemisphere))
             cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapModelObs'))
-            cmapIndices = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapIndicesModelObs',listType=int)
+            cmapIndices = config.getExpression('seaice_modelvsobs',
+                                               'cmapIndicesModelObs')
             cmapModelObs = cols.ListedColormap(cmap(cmapIndices),"cmapModelObs")
 
-            clevsDiff = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','clevsDiff_thick_%s'%hemisphere,listType=float)
+            clevsDiff = config.getExpression(
+                'seaice_modelvsobs',
+                'clevsDiff_thick_{}'.format(hemisphere))
             cmap = plt.get_cmap(config.get('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapDiff'))
-            cmapIndices = config.getlist('seaice_modelvsobs','cmapIndicesDiff',listType=int)
+            cmapIndices = config.getExpression('seaice_modelvsobs',
+                                               'cmapIndicesDiff')
             cmapDiff = cols.ListedColormap(cmap(cmapIndices),"cmapDiff")
 
             lon0 = config.getfloat('seaice_modelvsobs','lon0_%s'%hemisphere)