[VHFcontesting] E skip question

[John Geiger]

When reading the most recent World Above 50mhz Column in QST, some E skip from the September VHF contest was discussed.  The big E skip opening in that contest was discussed, and Gene, W3ZZ, made this comment "The first thing to notice is that being farther north, the openings are nowhere near as good as for the southern stations."  I have also heard in mentioned before that Eskip is better further south.

Is this true?  Are Eskip conditions better in the southern US as compared with further north? If so, why?  Eskip doesn't seem to be related to the F layer, which is better further south.  And Europe, which is further north than much of the US, seems to get much better 2 meter Eskip than we do.  Does it have to do with the location of the magnetic north pole?

73s John NE0P