Abstract: After the rare cold wave in January 2016, another strong cold wave swept across China in the same year from 20 to 24 November. Using conventional meteorological data from community databases containing surfaces meteorological data from the China Meteorological Administration, the MICAPS Platform and the Wuhan National Weather Station, the circulation feature and the effect of the strong cold wave in late November 2016 were analysed in terms of the synoptic principle and the dynamic diagnosis. The results showed that the cold air was blocked by a transverse trough in Mongolia and accumulated near Lake Baikal, then the transverse trough turned vertically, and moved southwards, affecting most of China. The cold air came mainly from the western ocean of Novaya Zemlya. Affected by the cold-core cyclone near Aral Sea, it intruded into China on east and west paths and converged in the Loess Plateau. Southwest China was mainly affected by the cold air from the west path while northern China was mainly affected by eastward cold air. As the cold air on the westward path was weaker, the speed and amplitude of cooling in the southwest region was less signi ficant than in northern China. Central and eastern China were affected by the cold air from both east and west path, which caused the most severe temperature drop and the largest cooling range. The temperature in Wuhan in this cold wave fell more quickly than during the cold wave which happened in January of 2017, but the minimum temperature was higher.