In the last couple months there has been essentially no sunspot activity.  Today we FINALLY have an obvious sunspot and it's the reversed polarity type that would signal sunspot cycle 24.  The problem is, there has been so little sunspot activity for so long, it's actually difficult to tell if this is the actual ramping up of the next sunspot cycle...or the normal first observed spot that signals the start of cycle 24's activity (the activities of both cycles kind of overlap)...in which case it would take another 12-20 months to ramp up.  Either way, there's a rather large amount of evidence that...(A) the next sunspot cycle will be a bit of a dud...like dalton minimum levels and (B) that such a minimum would mean a heck of a cold spell globally.

BTW, the southern hemisphere has had some of the coldest winters in the last 50+ years and global temperature has already dropped by almost ALL of the increases of the late 20th century. (which, by the way...were accompanied by higher sunspot activity)

Aaaaaanyway, NASA scheduled a press conference for tomorrow and I'm rather keen to find out what the heck they have to say.  I kind of get the feeling that there will be a rather abrupt about face on the whole global warming thing.