Early on September 21, the motion shifted to the north as it moved along the northwest periphery of the subtropical ridge. That general motion continued throughout the day, however, Helene began to turn more northeastward that evening along the edge of the subtropical ridge, east of Bermuda. A decrease in wind shear and relatively warm water around 81°F (27°C) kept the intensity mostly stationary, keeping Helene as a Category 1 hurricane. The intensity held around 80 mph (130 km/h) before strengthening slightly late on September 22, despite losing some tropical characteristics (it was operationally downgraded to a tropical storm for a brief period) as it accelerated northeast in the north Atlantic. A QuikSCAT analysis early on September 23 confirmed a high-end Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph (145 km/h) winds.