As of 23 July 2009,

2009, is beginning to be an even BLANKER (word?),

year for sunspots than 2008 was ... 2008 had the longest single stretch of sun spotless days.. 1 month. The percentage was just 73% of all days of 2008, as of this writing, 2009 is at 76% and we are in a 12+ day stretch of days without  sunspots, after what APPEARED to be a spectacular beginning for July 2009 (there were actually more cycle 24 sunspots in the beginning of the month than had been seen all at once this year)we are now in the aformentioned 12 day stretch without a sunspot.

With a decrease in the Solar Wind, (noted this year), a 2% decrease in solar irradiance (especially in UV), and the continued long minimum we MAY actually be beginning to see signs of a cooling effect in our area.

June and July now have been wetter than average for our part of the country, with more days of cooler than average temperatures. twice recently we actually went into a winterlike jet stream which brought cool temps and a recent NEW record low for July.

With high temps this week barely making it out of the mid 80's, (Monday WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HOT DAY, but the clouds moved in early and it was a cool day as well (temps not out of lower 80's here, with tuesday never getting out of the 70's)

The 'MAINSTREAM MEDIA' has actually taken notice of the lower than average tempuratures noted this summer and did a report recently on the farmers in both North and South Dakota worrying about an AUGUST Frost!. (not since the year without a summer btw when Thera Erupted in the Mediterranean)

Speculation without facts ..... yes most of it is but I always check those few facts I use and find.

today's sources include

www.spaceweather.com

and an article on www.foxnews.com (frost in august)

T