Spatiotemporal variations of extreme temperature events in Xinjiang have been analyzed based on daily average temperature

daily maximum temperature and daily minimum temperature data from 50 meteorological stations covering the period from 1961 to 2010 using statistical methods and 22 extreme temperature indices commonly used in extreme climate events researches. Daily temperature and mean annual temperature in Xinjiang increased significantly after 1996

minimum temperature in winter and summer rose significantly

and the warming magnitude in winter was greater than in summer. Except for GTmax

GTavg

DTR and TXx

TNx

TXn

TNn

all cold and warm indices are characterized by significant downward and upward trends respectively in the late 1990s. Overall

the magnitudes of warming tendency of cold indices

low temperature indices

night indices are obviously greater than those of warm indices

high temperature indices and day indices，and they are greater in basins than in mountains. The mutation of trend analysis of extreme cold indices occurred in the midandlate 1980s

and that of extreme warm indices occurred in the late 1990s. The warming tendency can be checked obviously no matter with average temperature indicators or changes of extreme temperature indices. Average temperature (GTavg) and maximum temperature (GTmax) during growing season are characterized by an upward trend. The increase of daily average temperature will enhance the intensity of heat wave days (HWDI) and lengthen the growing season. Growing season length is longer in southern Xinjiang than in the northern and eastern Xinjiang

and it is longer in basins than in mountains.