Abstract: The atmospheric radiative heating and cooling rates are calculated when one layer high cloud or low cloud appears or two layers of cloud appear simultane-ously in plain and plateau areas. The results are:1) Ths short wave heating rate and long wave cooling rate of cloud over plateau are larger than that over plain, especially for the low clouds; 2) High cloud will heat the surface; 3) Two layer clouds will always heat the surface in plateau; 4) when two layers of cloud appear simultaneously, the heating or cooling rate of the high cloud will be enhanced, while the heating or cooling rate of the low cloud will be diminished; 5) The variation of the low cloud has less influence on the cooling rate of the high cloud, but the variation of the high cloud amount has stronger influence on the cooling rate of the low cloud; 6) The heating rate of the cloud seems unsensitive to the albedo of the ground, but it is sensible to the zenith angle of the sun. In view of this, in general circulation model or in climate models must take care on the variation of high cloud amount. In the regional climate model must take account of the difference of the heating/or cooling rate between the plateau and plain.