Near zero sunspot activity during solar maximum

Sunspot number of 13 today, and the sunspot is very tiny.

Low solar maximum coincide with colder winters... could this be a colder winter?

I think I will order 4 cords of firewood for this winter.

From http://www.spaceweather.com/

"A careful inspection of the solar disk reveals only two sunspots, very small and quiet. NOAA forecasters estimate no more than a 1% chance of M- or X-class flares during the next 24 hours.

In fact, this is Solar Max, the weakest one in more than 50 years. Long spells of quiet and spotlessness are punctuated by occasional flares and CMEs."

Amazing!

At solar max, and sunspot number is 12.

Will the sun go blank during solar max? Time will tell....

N1LAF wrote:Sunspot number of 13 today, and the sunspot is very tiny.

Low solar maximum coincide with colder winters...  could this be a colder winter?

I think I will order 4 cords of firewood for this winter.

Maybe, we are overdue for a cold one. Maybe this will be it. Then again maybe not. Sometimes it just a matter of which way the wind blows.

Looks like the prdection of a cold winter is a good one. It has been way below average here in Virginia for the last month and it looks like we may be in for a lot of snow this year also. This is the weakest solar cycle I have seen with really sporadic propagation on the higher bands. When it's good it's as good as ever but just happening as often as in other cycles.

I did buy a kerosene emergency heater and a 7 KW generator just in case. In past winters there have been power outtages from ice and heavy snow. I'm not a prepper but you know what they say about an ounce of prevention.

they been saying the winter outlook here is going to be cold with lots of snow..

so far its been cold.. with a few snow showers.... we did get 1st measurable snow (1") back in October.

JuanLargo wrote:Looks like the prdection of a cold winter is a good one.  It has been way below average here in Virginia for the last month and it looks like we may be in for a lot of snow this year also.  This is the weakest solar cycle I have seen with really sporadic propagation on the higher bands.  When it's good it's as good as ever but just happening as often as in other cycles.

I did buy a kerosene emergency heater and a 7 KW generator just in case.  In past winters there have been power outtages from ice and heavy snow.  I'm not a prepper but you know what they say about an ounce of prevention.

It might be. But then again i have also seen a lot of winters where it starts off cold early on and then gets unseasonably warm in January and February. Guess only time will tell for sure.

Usually a solar cycle like this one would mean cold for a few years, but with climate change, I think we'll have a cold Dec-Jan with above average for late Jan onward. Then again it was in the fifties here on the rabbit trail today.