Yearly mean SSN (top panel) and the number of NOAA G1 (“minor”) storm days/year, from 1932 to 2012, encompassing the late phase of solar cycle 16 to the rise of cycle 24. The vertical red (black) lines indicate years of minimum (maximum) SSN in each cycle. The lowest rates during this period occurred in the minimum between cycles 23 and 24. The rate during the rise phase of cycle 24 is also lower than in any comparable interval during the period in this figure. Even 4 years into cycle 24, the storm rate is still only comparable to, or less than, the rates in the minimum activity years of previous cycles.