Based on daily mean temperature and minimum temperature of 122 meteorological observation stations in Yunnan,the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of the number of occurrences of three types of cold air in winter half year from 1961 to 2014 over Yunnan are analyzed. The results show: ① With climate warming, the overall trend of occurrences of the three types of cold air in Yunnan during the recent 54 years has been decreased uniformly,and general cold air decreased the most remarkably. Spatially,this reduction trend is consistent across the whole province. For the abrupt change point of reduction,general cold air appears near 2002,strong cold air appears near 1994 and cold wave near 1978. ② The spatial distribution of occurrences of three types of cold air is not the same. General cold air decreases from northwest to south; strong cold air decreases from north and east to south and west; cold wave decreases from east to west. ③ The three types of cold air mainly concentrate in December,January and February,of which the most is in January. In winter the number of cold air of low temperature form is more than dropping temperature form,while in spring and autumn the number of dropping temperature form is more than low temperature form. ④ There are obvious interannual variations in three types of cold air, while evident interdecadal variations for general cold air and strong cold air. ⑤ The overall features of spatial distribution of the earliest commencement date of three types of cold air delay from northwest and east to south and west. The latest dates of cold air in different area have a larger span and shows the general feature of delaying from south and west to north and east. The lasting days of three types of cold air differ greatly. ⑥ There is a obvious inverse correlation relationship between the number of occurrence of three types of cold air and temperature,that is,the higher(lower) the temperature,the less(more) of the frequency of the cold air.