The method of physical decomposition of atmospheric variables was used to find possible precursors to indicate regional prolonged low temperature events in China. During the winter half years for 1960-2008, a total of 115 strong events had negative temperature transient anomalies in the lower troposphere and negative geopotential height transient anomalies from the middle-high troposphere to the stratosphere simultaneously. Among them, 112 events occupied the negative center of temperature transient anomalies on the 850 hPa level and the negative center of geopotential height transient anomalies on the 300 hPa level, respectively. The negative center of temperature transient anomalies on the 850 hPa level can be traced as precursors to indicate the occurrence of regional prolonged low temperature events in China over 5-9 days in advance.