Africans can be found on the band almost anytime. Asia also opens up for short path work. 20 should be a good band in the ARRL CW contest, but proximity to Europe will also be a factor. At the peak of the cycle it is hard to believe that there are times when it is easier to work Europe on 80 than on 15, but we are there now. Still, the east, west and southerly paths are often workable on 15.
Activity is sparse.
At night, everybody moves to the low bands. Quiet winter nights are great for DXing on all the low bands. Activity is often thin to Europe on 40 because people don't stay up all night, and because the MUF along this path is often too low nowadays. As spring approaches, the MUF problem will diminish. Paths will shift as the night grows shorter.