Abstract: The northeast cold vortex (NECV) precipitation process is defined in this paper. Based on surface observational precipitation data and the FNL reanalysis data provided by NCEP, the NECV precipitation processes are identified for May to August in 2010－2014. Fourty cases of the identi fied NECV precipitation processes were analyzed, and two of them were compared for researching the characteristics of NECV precipitation. The results of statistical analysis are following: about 1/4 of days were controlled by NECV in China for May to August. In May, it is found that on the most number of NECV days, the NECV velocities were relatively fast while the precipitation were the smallest. It is noticed that the less NECV day, the slower NECV movement, while the heavier precipitation in July comparing to that in May. July is the month occurred the most rainstorms. The number of NECV precipitation processes was similarly relative less in June and August, yet the precipitation intensities were moderate in June and August. There are 20 rainstorm and 20 non-rainstorm processes. The rainstorm process on July 25, 2010 and the non-rainstorm process on May 28, 2013 were selected to compare and study the forming conditions of the cold vortex heavy precipitation. Under the premise of similarity of cold vortex intensity and circulation, the formation mechanism of precipitation in the two processes was compared and analyzed. The results show that the water vapor conditions are similar at the beginning in the two processes. The ascending condition of rainstorm type cold vortex is better at large scale background than that at small scales. The continuous vertical wind shear in the southern part of the NECV may form a continuous ascending motion and strong convergence of water vapor, which is the cause of the rainstorm, in the southern part of NECV. The strong northerly flow destroyed the convergence center in the NCEV with only weak precipitation. The vertical temperature and pressure structure and wind field structure in the NECV were not symmetrical. The cold vortex precipitation center was located in the con fluence side of north-ward and south-ward air flow.