For the central and western US, this will be the most productive rate band if 10 doesn't play well on contest weekend. QRN levels are down to where 40 is in excellent shape. The European opening on 40 lasts through the evening here, though most activity comes from the sunrise areas where the band is peaking and people are actually up. 20 will be harder to read in the contest. The nightpaths are closed, the daypaths are marginal, and signals propagate best along the grey line.
Peak times are several hours before and after sunset, and the hours after sunrise.
We work into other areas in the vicinity of the local grey line. The morning opening includes excellent daily long path to the southwest and parts of the world normally hard to reach. Nighttime MUFs are higher in the southern hemisphere, and we can work into and across these nightpaths as long as we are near the greyline ourselves.