def write_members_to_netcdf (outfile, ncname, idate, cyyyymmddhh, \
    cyyyymmddhh_fcst,  precip_ens_raw_out, precip_ens_qmapped_out, \
    ensmean_raw_out, ensmean_qmapped_out):    
    
    from netCDF4 import Dataset
    
    """ write the raw and quantile-mapped ensemble probabilities to 
    a netCDF file """
    
    # ---- write probabilities and close

    print ('   cyyyymmddhh, cyyyymmddhh_fcst = ', cyyyymmddhh, cyyyymmddhh_fcst)
    print ('   writing probs to netCDF file ',outfile)
    nc_fullfield = Dataset(outfile,'a',format='NETCDF4_CLASSIC')
    nc_fullfield['yyyymmddhh_init'][idate] = int(cyyyymmddhh)
    nc_fullfield['yyyymmddhh_fcst'][idate] = int(cyyyymmddhh_fcst)
    nc_fullfield['precip_ens_raw'][idate] = precip_ens_raw_out[:,:,:]
    nc_fullfield['precip_ens_qmapped'][idate] = precip_ens_qmapped_out[:,:,:]
    nc_fullfield['ensmean_raw'][idate] = ensmean_raw_out[:,:]
    nc_fullfield['ensmean_qmapped'][idate] = ensmean_qmapped_out[:,:]
    nc_fullfield.close()

    istat = 0
    return istat