For the past two+ years, Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have been monitoring cosmic rays in the atmosphere above California using high-altitude space weather balloons. After more than 100 flights, they find that dose rates have increased over the Golden State by 13% since March 2015.
Now we know the same thing is happening over New England–only more so.
More on the Earth to Sky Calculus HERE.
Some scientist believe that there is a connection between the number of cosmic rays and cloud cover. The more cloud cover, the cooler the planet. It could be more cosmic rays, the cooler the planet. More on clouds and cosmic rays HERE.
CLOUD also finds that ions from galactic cosmic rays strongly enhance the production rate of pure biogenic particles – by a factor 10-100 compared with particles without ions. This suggests that cosmic rays may have played a more important role in aerosol and cloud formation in pre-industrial times than in today’s polluted atmosphere.
What do you think? Will a quiet sun allow more cosmic rays reach the earth, creating more clouds cooling the planet? Your thoughts? Why the difference between New England and California? Could it be latitude? Or measurement error? Your thoughts?
The Next Grand Minimum 
Russ, along with increased cloud cover with cosmic rays entering our atmosphere, how about more than 20 volcano eruptions over the last 2 weeks! Yes more than 20 from 20 different volcanoes. The two combined will drop ground temperatures and block out more sun light. Causing the growing season this year to be shorten. The link is here, http://volcano.si.edu/reports_weekly.cfm if you would like to keep track as to how many volcanoes are erupting all over the world. .
Anthony, Thanks for the tip. Vulcanism has been associated with cool periods on the planet. The question in my mind has been are the two connected. Are there more eruptions during solar grand minimums? I have found very little study of the issue. It should be explored more. Any information you can send my way is appreciated.