The New York Times Crossword · 16-Across · 5 letters
Features of gathering clouds? The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed October 1, 2026
Answer · 5 letters
AEIOU
The answer is not about weather. Read 'gathering clouds' as written: gathering contains A, E and I; clouds contains O and U. Together the phrase contains all five vowel letters, entered in their familiar alphabetical sequence as AEIOU.
Different crossing letters? Check another fit →Extract the letters from the clue itself
GATHERING contributes A, E and I; CLOUDS contributes O and U. Those are the five standard English vowel letters, so the five-cell entry is A-E-I-O-U. No cloud type, rain pattern or weather condition needs to be identified.
Why the question mark matters
Without the question mark, 'features of gathering clouds' sounds like a forecast. Here it signals a playful switch from the scene described by the words to letters inside the words. If a weather answer is tempting, check whether it accounts for all five squares and for both parts of the phrase.
References behind this explanation
These references support the meaning or background; they are not publisher endorsements.
Where this clue appeared
16-Across in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for October 1, 2026.
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