The dominant role of heavy precipitation in precipitation change despite opposite trends in west and east of northern China

Based on daily precipitation measurements from 271 meteorological stations in northern China during 1960–2011, we found that precipitation amount did not show significant trend ( p  = 0.25). To obtain a better understanding of regional precipitation differences, we divided northern China into two regions and five sub‐regions. A wetting tendency was identified for the northwestern of China ( NW ), while a drying tendency was determined for the northeastern of China ( NE ). Precipitation tendencies also displayed regional differences. We determined that changes in precipitation frequency dominated changes in precipitation amount for low altitude areas, while changes in precipitation intensity were the main cause of changes in precipitation amount in high altitude areas. Both precipitation frequency and intensity had an equivalent impact on changes within middle altitude regions of the NW . In contrast, changes in precipitation amount within the NE were mainly caused by precipitation frequency. The effect of precipitation intensity on precipitation amount was not significant. For all of the sub‐regions investigated, heavy precipitation contributed the most to changes in total precipitation amount. The results obtained from this study will be of value to those studying the response of northern Chinese ecosystems to climate change.