In the context of 1951～1995 characteristic quantities of northern circulations the secular trends of circulation variations were investigated. It turns out that for the past 45 years or so the western Pacific subtropical highs and polar vortices were intensified, and so were zonal circulations as opposed to meridional ones. Abrupt change investigation shows that discontinuity occurred largely in 1976 and early in the 1980s. The secular trends and decadal variation in these circulations represent one immediate cause of the evolution in winter temperature trend in China on a long-term basis.