Temperature is considered to have the greatest influence on annual tree growth in cold regions, resulting in a pronounced positive relationship. However, an anomalous reduction or even loss of temperature sensitivity and/or a divergence in tree growth has been detected at previously temperature-limited northern sites in recent decades. This phenomenon, known as the "divergence problem," has potentially significant implications for large-scale patterns of forest growth, the development of regional climate reconstruction, and carbon cycle models based on tree-ring records. The main objective of this study was to explore the responses of the main conifer species (Abies faxoniana and Cupressus chengiana) to abrupt warming around 1995 in Markang County of western Sichuan, and determined whether the "divergence problem" exists in this typical high-elevation cold region. We analyzed the climate-growth relationships of the conifer species in two distinct periods: 1955-1994 and 1995-2012. The results showed that the growth of A. faxoniana at middle- and high-altitude sites had a positive temperature response in 1955-1994 and the tree-ring index was relatively high in this period, whereas C. chengiana at the low-altitude site was marginally influenced by temperature in 1955-1994 and the tree-ring index was apparently high at this period. In contrast, the value of the three tree ring chronologies along the elevational gradient remained steady or decreased in 1995-2012. This "growth divergence" found in this study is expressed as an offset between warm instrumental temperatures and their underestimation based on tree rings. The ring width index of A. faxoniana at high-altitude site was positively correlated with winter temperature prior to 1995, while it was significantly negatively correlated with April temperature and significantly positively correlated with April precipitation after 1995. This indicated the potential existence of spring drought stress at the high-elevation site. The temperature sensitivity of A. faxoniana at the middle-altitude site disappeared in 1995-2012, accompanied by the intensification of the effect of spring drought stress on radial growth of trees. The growth of C. chengiana at the low-altitude site was mainly controlled by precipitation, and the spring drought stress on forest growth became a noticeable feature after 1995. Conifer forests are the most productive and widespread forest types in the west Sichuan region. Thus, any coherent, climate-related change in conifer forest growth is likely to be an important factor in CO₂ uptake. Since the conifer species in Markang County of west Sichuan exhibited "growth divergence" with the abrupt warming after 1995, the current assumption of tree-growth and climate models of a uniform positive relationship of forest growth to high-elevation warming will lead to potential uncertainty in estimating the regional climate change and carbon cycle of west Sichuan.