Based on the temperature data at 20 stations in Ningxia in 1961-2004 and the NCEP/NCAR monthly global reanalysis data in the same period,trends of temperature in the recent 44 years in Ningxia are analyzed,and the characters of background circulation fields for warm and cold periods and the circulation differences between typical warm and cold years are compositely analyzed in this paper.The analysis results show that since 1961,temperature in Ningxia has generally increased,with the 1960s being a colder period,and the 1990s being a rapid warming period.The seasonal temperature increased most in winter,but least in summer.The station number of high temperature has increased gradually since 1986,remarkably after 1998.On the other hand,the station number of low temperature were more from the 1960s to the mid 1980s.In the warm years,the Ural cold low was relatively weak,the main cold air in northern Asia located north of normal,the easterly flow dominated over Ningxia,and therefere Ningxia was in the positive temperature departure area;but in the cold years,the cold air from the polar region and the Baikal lake region was piled up in Mongolia,the westerly wind over Ningxia was clearly strengthened,and Ningxia was in the bottom area of the negative departure of temperature.