CLEVELAND — Eighty-one years ago today, on June 6, 1944, almost 160,000 Allied soldiers stormed onto the shores of Normandy, France. Now known as D-Day, Operation Overlord significantly altered the course of World War II and was unprecedented in its scale and audacity. The invasion required careful planning, secrecy, and very specific weather conditions. The forecast played a pivotal and historic role in the execution and overall success of D-Day.

The Allied forces needed a full moon and a low tide for optimal ship landing and navigation ashore. It was easy to find the dates, but that was still only a few days in both May and June. Eventually, it was decided that D-Day would be scheduled for June 5. While they had the date, the weather also needed to cooperate. Perfect conditions called f

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