At what point in the solar cycle does the 20-meter band usually support worldwide propagation during daylight hours?

The 20-meter band (14 MHz) is widely considered the premier workhorse band for amateur radio DX (long-distance) communication. It sits in a 'sweet spot' in the radio spectrum where daytime ionization is almost always sufficient to refract signals back to Earth, while atmospheric noise remains relatively low. Because of this ideal balance, the 20-meter band consistently supports daytime worldwide propagation regardless of where we are in the 11-year solar cycle. While propagation conditions are certainly enhanced and last longer into the night during a solar maximum, you do not need to wait for peak solar activity to talk across the globe on 20 meters during the day.