This study investigated the influence of the land–air temperature on spring rainfall over North China and its feedback mechanism by using station observations for the period 1951–2000 and the ERA-40 reanalysis for the period 1958–2002. The analysis identified a significant negative correlation between the land–air temperature difference and the spring rainfall over North China. The analysis results suggested that the sinking motion and northeasterly anomalies were dominated over North China. These anomalous northeasterly winds substantially weakened the amount of moisture supplied to North China and are helpful for a decrease in the humidity over North China. Moreover, the decrease in sea level pressure was caused by an increase in surface air temperature. The North China was located to the west of Low system where divergence and sinking motion were favored. The results also suggested that the positive sensible heat flux anomalies and negative latent heat flux anomalies over North China were induced by an increase in the land–air temperature difference. The increase in surface downward solar radiation association with a decrease in low clouds may cause an increase in surface air temperature and decrease in relative humidity, which in turn contributed to a decrease in spring rainfall over North China. These results suggested that there was a strong negative feedback mechanism between the temperature difference and rainfall.

 KEY WORDS  Land–air temperature difference; Rainfall; North China