Based on the EOF analysis of the January mean temperature field at 0.8 m under theground over China,astudy is made of the dependence of the surface temperature anomaly onnorthern 500 hPa height anomaly.Results show that the temperature abnormality bears a certainrelation to atmospheric circulation regime, and that the circulation departure pattern is similar inthe month with the ground temperature anomaly to that of December and different from that ofFebruary. Further investigation indicates that the December atmospheric circulation anomaly isresponsible at least partially for the surface anomaly in China,which,in turn,exerts effect onthecirculation.