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[AF5CC]

This past Friday I worked a SM3 on 15m FT8 at 5:15pm local time (2315 UTC), well past the time that the path to Europe on 15 had closed.  This isn't the first time I have had this occur.  Over the past few years I have witnessed this before, stations from LA/SM/OH coming through on 15 and 17 meters mid to late afternoon, several hours after the path to Europe had closed for that band.  They haven't been coming in the whole time since the disappearance of the rest of Europe, it is like a new path opens up several hours later, but only to these regions.  These areas in Europe will have been in darkness for several hours as well, dropping the MUF below 15 and 17 meters, but there they are.

This is a winter phenomena I am discussing.  I am very familiar with Europe coming in later at night on 15 and 17 during the summer months, especially during higher sunspot numbers.

So does anyone know of the propagation mechanism to explain this-why this one part of Europe comes in several hours after the path to the rest of Europe has closed-and when it is well into darkness at their QTH?  I am guessing it might have something to do with their location in the Auroral Zone and some sort of Aurora to F2 hookup, but that is just a guess. 

73 John AF5CC

[WA3SKN]

Explain?
As an amateur, I need to take advantage of it... but I do not need to explain it!
73s.

-Mike.

[KH6AQ]

VOACAP  https://www.voacap.com/hf/
Oklahoma to Sweden
15 meters

Peak times

Short path:  0500-0600, 1400-1600 Z

Long path:  1500-1800, 2000Z

[W6RZ]

Back in the peak of Cycle 22, I used to have a receiver parked on 28.885 MHz (the old 6-meter liaison frequency). I would often hear OH and LA stations bombing in at S9+20 well into the afternoon west coast time (long after the band had closed to Europe).