Based on recent trends noted in water vapor imagery showing the shear decreasing, along with the overall favorable upper-level wind fields forecast by the GFS and ECMWF, especially after 36 hours, slow but steady strengthening is expected for the next 5 days, with only occasional intrusions of dry mid-level air being the primary inhibiting factor to the intensification process. The official intensity forecast is close to the NOAA HCCA consensus model, is about midway between the more aggressive IVCN consensus model that makes Ophelia a hurricane in about 72 h, and the more conservative statistical SHIPS and LGEM models. However, even the SHIPS and LGEM models have increased their peak intensity forecasts by at least 15 kt since the previous advisory.