Meteorologist Paul Dorian at Vencore weather writes:
All indications are that the upcoming solar minimum which is expected to begin in 2019 may be even quieter than the last one which was the deepest in nearly a century.Some scientists are even saying that we are on the cusp of a new grand solar minimum, and the upcoming cycle 25 may have even lower cycles after it.
This empirical modeling of solar recurrent patterns has also provided a consequent multi-millennial-scale experimental forecast, suggesting a solar decreasing trend toward Grand (Super) Minimum conditions for the upcoming period, AD2050-2250 (AD 3750-4450).
Comment: This was the same storm that produced this extreme lightning show over the Carolinas:
Electric storm at 30,000ft: Passenger captures astounding pyrotechnics through airplane window
Just a day earlier there was a similar event elsewhere in the US:
Extreme hailstorm pounds Brazos Valley, Texas (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)