The solar cycle is not "fixed" in duration. There are disputes about the period of the cycle. 11-17 years in some sources. Yes, we just began to come out of the longest and quietest sunspot minimum of my lifetime. Yes, the weather is more variable during sunspot minimums and maximums. No, the sky is not falling and No this is not a consequence of anything man has done.
Solar scientists determine the progress of a cycle by observing magnetic activity on the Sun. They create an image known as a magnetogram, where N/S polarity is depicted as black/white regions.
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/hmi_mag/1024/latest.html