Based on the rainfall data at 160 stations of China,the NCEP/NCAR monthly reanalysis data,the monthly extended reconstructed sea surface temperature(ERSST) data supplied by NOAA and CPC(NOAA) indices,by using the EOF(empirical orthogonal function) analysis,this paper investigates JFMAM(January-May) precipitation patterns in the middle and low reaches of Yangtze River(MLRYR) during 1951—2013 and their causes.The results show that JFMAM precipitation of MLRYR has three EOF modes:the first mode with in-phase change,the second mode with north-south out-of-phase change,and the third mode with rainfall anormaly distribution along the Yangtze River.The aforementioned three modes are related to different circulaion anomalies.The maintenance of the anomalous circulations related to the three patterns are found to be related to,respectively,the perturbations originating from Europe and propagating easterward along the westerly belt,the wave train from Atlantic and passing through the Arctic areas to MLRYR,and the Northern Hemisphere Annual Mode.The in-phase rainfall pattern is well correlated with Nino3.4 index.The north-south out-of-phase pattern and the rainfall pattern along the Yangtze River are linked to sea surface temperature anomaly in the eastern Pacific.