In this study, the NCEP /NCAR was used to reanalyze the global mean surface temperature data with monthly resolution of 2.5° * 2.5° during the period of 1979-2012,and the zone of 25°-40°N and 75°-105°E on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was regarded as the study area. The spatial distribution and temporal change trend of mean annual,winter and summer temperature in the whole Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were analyzed using the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and rotated EOF (REOF) decomposition. It is suggested that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau can be divided into four subareas of temperature in summer: They are the Qaidam Basin,western,eastern and southern parts respectively. The plateau can be divided into three subareas of temperature in winter: they are the northeastern,northwestern and southern parts respectively. Results showed that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is affected by thermal weather system in summer,but by dynamic weather system in winter. During the studied period of 1979-2012, temperature in the eastern and southern parts of the plateau in summer was slightly decreased, but it was in an increase trend in other subareas. Compared with the previous studies, the warming trend had been slowed down. Moreover, the warming trends in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and other regions with the same latitude in the world were compared. These results revealed that the response of local climate change in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to the global warming was the most sensitive.