Based on daily temperature and precipitation for 71 stations in three provinces in northeast China from 1961 to 2013,extreme weather events were assessed using eight climatic indices defined by STARDEX. We found that trends in seasonal and annual high temperature threshold,low temperature threshold and the longest heatwave date fluctuated upwards over time. Over time the annual and spring,autumn,winter frost date performed decline. Extreme high temperature event easily occurred in the southwest and extreme low temperature event easily occurred in the north. The high value areas of annual,spring and autumn frost date were distributed in the north and the frost date has decreased. The date of high temperature heatwave was relatively long in the north and east. Annual and autumn heavy precipitation threshold declined over time and went upwards in spring,summer and winter. The annual,spring,summer and winter heavy precipitation rate and heavy precipitation date increased with the time,but decreased in autumn. Annual,spring,autumn and winter continuous dry dates decreased with the time and increased in summer. The southeast is a high risk area for extreme precipitation events. Extreme precipitation events easily occurred in summer,spring and autumn. Extreme precipitation events increased and spread to the west. The distribution of annual and seasonal continuous dry dates were long in the west and short in the east.