On September 17, the intensification became more rapid and Helene quickly became a Category 2 hurricane that morning as the eye became clearer and surrounded by deep convection. Helene also turned more northward and slowed in the central Atlantic, which was in response to a weakness in the subtropical ridge farther north created by Gordon to the north. The northward turn shifted the course away from any land areas. The intensification continued through the afternoon, and that evening, Helene strengthened into a major hurricane with 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 962 mbar. As shear remained low and the oceans remained warm, Helene intensified slightly more, peaking as a solid Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph (195 km/h) winds early on September 18. At that time, Helene and Gordon were at roughly the same longitude in the open ocean. Operationally, Helene was estimated to have had 125 mph (205 km/h) winds, but the post-storm analysis downgraded it slightly. As Gordon moved eastward on the afternoon of 18th, a narrow ridge built in, forcing Helene westward. The eyewall collapsed somewhat, and Helene weakened slightly to a Category 2 hurricane, where it leveled off for about 48 hours until September 20 due to a lengthy eyewall replacement cycle and an elongated cloud pattern. On the 20th, Helene turned back to the northwest and weakened slightly due to a slight increase in wind shear. That afternoon, it was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, which Helene remained until becoming extratropical.