http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0827141349.htm



An international team of scientists led by the National Center for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR) used more than a century of weather
observations and three powerful computer models to tackle one of the
more difficult questions in meteorology: if the total energy that
reaches Earth from the Sun varies by only 0.1 percent across the
approximately 11-year solar cycle, how can such a small variation drive
major changes in weather patterns on Earth?

The answer, according to the new study, has to do with the Sun's impact
on two seemingly unrelated regions. Chemicals in the stratosphere and
sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean respond during solar
maximum in a way that amplifies the Sun's influence on some aspects of
air movement. This can intensify winds and rainfall, change sea surface
temperatures and cloud cover over certain tropical and subtropical
regions, and ultimately influence global weather.

"The Sun, the stratosphere, and the oceans are connected in ways that
can influence events such as winter rainfall in North America," says
NCAR scientist Gerald Meehl, the lead author. "Understanding the role of
the solar cycle can provide added insight as scientists work toward
predicting regional weather patterns for the next couple of decades."

....

The connection between peaks in solar energy and cooler water in the
equatorial Pacific was first discovered by Harry Van Loon of NCAR and
Colorado Research Associates, who is a co-author of the new paper.
....
(Snipped a lot of good stuff you can read if you want)