The meteorological station records during 1960-2013 were used to investigate temporal and spatial characteristics of temperature and precipitation change in different agriculture regions (i.e. the Tibetan Plateau agriculture region, the southwest China agriculture region, the south China agriculture region) of southwest China, and compare relative contributions of elevation factor and latitude factor by standardized regression coefficient with the purpose of exploring change features of the characteristics along increasing elevations. The results showed that, first, southwest China experienced a significantly warming and drying trend during 1960-2013, especially after 2000. The climate warming showed a significant trend, especially in the Tibetan Plateau agricultural region and the south China agricultural region. Specifically, the climate warming in the Tibetan Plateau agricultural region occurred earlier than other regions. Second, the study area underwent a significant climate drying trend, especially in the border of Yunan and Guizhou provinces. Third, the effect of the elevation factor was quantified to be more significant than the latitude factor by the standardized regression coefficient. Change trends of temperature and precipitation increased along increasing elevations meaning the positive correlation function of the elevation factor in the climate change process, which reveals higher climate sensitivity in higher elevation areas of southwest China. Along increasing elevations, a higher climate warming trend was caused by a decreasing trend of surface latent heat, and thereby brought about an increasing wetting trend due to a stronger evapotranspiration under the warming trend. The elevation-dependent change trend of temperature and precipitation indicated an enhanced climate fluctuation in higher elevations.