The answer to “Features of gathering clouds” in the NYT Crossword is AEIOU — the five vowels, in order.
Why AEIOU?
This clue has nothing to do with weather — it’s about letters, and that’s the whole trick. Look at the phrase “gathering clouds”: G-A-T-H-E-R-I-N-G C-L-O-U-D-S. It contains each of the five vowels — A, E, I, O, U — exactly once. Word nerds call such phrases “supervocalic,” and NYT constructors adore them. The clue was highlighted in the NYT’s own “Tricky Clues” column on October 1, 2026, precisely because it sends solvers down the meteorology path before the letter-pattern penny drops.
“Features of…” is doing quiet work here too. It nudges you to look at the features — the components, the ingredients — of the phrase “gathering clouds” rather than the thing the phrase describes. Once you read the clue as “what are the components of the phrase ‘gathering clouds,'” the vowels surface fast. And AEIOU is one of the most useful answers in all of crossword construction: five vowels in a row is grid gold for connecting tricky corners.
Solving Tip: When the Clue Feels Too Poetic, Count the Letters
NYT constructors love clues that describe the letters of a phrase rather than its meaning — “features of,” “parts of,” and “contents of” are all flags for this move. When a clue like this feels oddly literary for a crossword (“gathering clouds” instead of just “storm”), treat the wording itself as the puzzle. Scan the phrase for patterns: all five vowels? Repeated letters? Alphabetical order? That second reading cracks these clues in seconds.
It also helps to keep AEIOU in your instant-recognition file. It appears as “Vowel sequence,” “Vowels in order,” and now “Features of gathering clouds.” Any clue that asks for the vowels as a set, in any disguise, resolves to these five letters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to “Features of gathering clouds” in the NYT Crossword?
AEIOU, with five letters. The phrase “gathering clouds” contains each vowel — A, E, I, O, U — exactly once.
What does “supervocalic” mean?
A word or phrase that contains each of the five vowels (A, E, I, O, U) at least once. “Gathering clouds” is a perfect example — each vowel appears exactly once.
Why would the NYT clue vowels this way?
Misdirection is the soul of a good crossword clue. Describing letters through poetic imagery (“gathering clouds”) instead of saying “vowels” outright is exactly the kind of aha-moment clue the NYT’s Tricky Clues column celebrates — this one was featured on October 1, 2026.
Are there other vowel-sequence clues to watch for?
Yes — “Vowels in order,” “Vowel string,” and “ABCs of vowels” all point to AEIOU. The constructor’s disguise changes; the five letters don’t.