diff --git a/docs/whats-new.md b/docs/whats-new.md
index 5ffb31c..1497309 100644
--- a/docs/whats-new.md
+++ b/docs/whats-new.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 - add hydra statistics for overschrijdingen as preparation for eventual method in [#106](https://github.com/Deltares-research/kenmerkendewaarden/pull/106)
 - improvements to output csv files in [#109](https://github.com/Deltares-research/kenmerkendewaarden/pull/109)
 - drop duplicate times in `kw.read_measurements()` in [#116](https://github.com/Deltares-research/kenmerkendewaarden/pull/116)
+- use NETCDF4_CLASSIC format to reduce file sizes written by `kw.retrieve_measurements()` in [#119](https://github.com/Deltares-research/kenmerkendewaarden/pull/119)
 
 ### Fix
 - implemented workaround for pandas 2.2.0 with different rounding behaviour in [#69](https://github.com/Deltares-research/kenmerkendewaarden/pull/69)
diff --git a/examples/KWK_getcheckdata.py b/examples/KWK_getcheckdata.py
index ceb8495..6b9c81f 100644
--- a/examples/KWK_getcheckdata.py
+++ b/examples/KWK_getcheckdata.py
@@ -18,11 +18,11 @@
 
 retrieve_meas_amount = False
 plot_meas_amount = False
-retrieve_meas = False
+retrieve_meas = True
 derive_stats = False
 plot_meas = False
 plot_stations = False
-test = False
+test = True
 
 # TODO: add timezone to start/stop date? (and re-retrieve all data): https://github.com/Deltares-research/kenmerkendewaarden/issues/29
 start_date = "1870-01-01"
diff --git a/kenmerkendewaarden/data_retrieve.py b/kenmerkendewaarden/data_retrieve.py
index a17c26c..369a9c1 100644
--- a/kenmerkendewaarden/data_retrieve.py
+++ b/kenmerkendewaarden/data_retrieve.py
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ def retrieve_measurements(
         )
 
     # write to netcdf (including metadata)
-    ds_meas.to_netcdf(file_nc)
+    ds_meas.to_netcdf(file_nc, format="NETCDF4_CLASSIC")
     ds_meas.close()