Based on the low altitude standard level and significant level data of 12 radiosonde stations from 7 provinces in the southern China in winter half year from 1960 to 1999, the frequency, intensity, and thickness of low altitude temperature inversion layers in winter in the southern China are analyzed statistically and its basic regularities and spatial distribution characteristics are revealed, compared with the historical temperature inversion characteristics of freezing rain and snow weather processes. The results indicate: (1) the low altitude temperature inversion occurred widely in the southern China during winter; (2) the inversion intensity index increased with the increasing bottom height of temperature inversion, and the biggest inversion intensity occurred between 700 and 600 hPa; (3) the average intensity of temperature inversion in the southwest region (southern Guizhou and Hunan) was generally higher than that in the northeast region (Anhui and Jiangsu); (4) the inversion intensity index had an annual increasing trend during freezing rain and snow weather processes from 1964 to 1995 while the average thickness of the inversion layer had a significant decreasing trend; (5) when inversion appeared,there was a warm temperature layer with the temperature greater than 0 ℃ around 700 hPa in the southwest region, but not in the northeast region; (6) during freezing rain and snow weather processes, the southwest region was dominated by freezing rains while the northeast region was dominated by snow.