The depression moved westward quickly, and moved through the southern Lesser Antilles early on September 6. The southern portion of the circulation passed over northeastern Venezuela, though after entering the Caribbean Sea, another reconnaissance flight was unable to confirm the existence of a low-level circulation. Shortly thereafter, while moving into an area of light wind shear, it was able to organize and strengthen further, and on September 7, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm "Edith" near the island of Curaçao. While initially, a cold-core upper-level low persisted about 750 miles (1200 km) northwest of the storm, Edith moved west-northwestward due to the influence of a narrow and persistent ridge of high pressure, which extended from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. As the storm continued into open waters of the Caribbean, the upper-level low gradually weakened and was replaced with an anticyclone. This allowed the storm to strengthen further, and on September 8, Edith became a hurricane in the south-central Caribbean Sea.