I was just looking at the MODIS highres from about the same time (it didn't catch all of the storm, but luckily the center), and looking at the detail in the eye. It is remarkably well-formed considering Epsilon is not a very strong hurricane, and has some interesting features. It is another unusual feature of this storm, to see an eye that looks in some respects like the eye of a major hurricane. It sure would be interesting to know what is going in inside that storm.

* * * * * * *

The wind shear has really started to kick in on the 1845Z. It looks like the outflow must have diminished quite a bit (due to the dry air coming in?). How many times can this storm cycle? Should we expect another resurgence in the morning?

I'm thinking probably not, that the strengthening from this morning was due to a pocket of lower shear, as very little shear was noticeable from this morning's vis images. Or...the shear that was there could have been displaced by some very strong outflow. Or...how's this for a crazy theory: somehow it did get some energy from the front to the north, even though it appears to be 100% tropical. Maybe in the colder temp environment there is some as-yet-undefined bizarre baroclinic process that can occur.