Abstract: The paper aims to analyze the characteristics and regularities of the extreme precipitation for nearly 54 years in northwest Yunnan, and provide some references for the research and prevention of the extreme precipitation in the region. Based on daily precipitation data of 6 typical meteorological stations from 1960 to 2013 in northwest Yunnan, the thresholds of extreme precipitation were measured by the method of threshold detection, and the temporal and spatial distribution of change about the extreme precipitation were investigated by using climate diagnostic methods, such as linear trend, Morlet wavelet analysis, Mann-Kendall test and moving t-test. The results showed that: the annual extreme precipitation was 165.7-459.0 mm and had a trend of gradually increasing from north to southwest; the extreme precipitation of northwest Yunnan presented an increasing tendency which was not obvious; the annual extreme precipitation reached the maximum during the 1980’s to 1990’s; the extreme precipitation had a 6-7 years short periodic oscillation, a 11-12 years medium periodic oscillation and a 27-28 years long periodic oscillation; the annual extreme precipitations had 2 abrupt change points, the precipitation changed from more to less in 1966, then began to increase in 1976.