The phrase "temp trend" refers to the pattern or direction in which the temperature is changing over a period of time. It indicates whether the temperature is getting warmer, colder, or staying the same. Full definition
I noticed how, in the 1930's, there was no major uptick in overall temp trends, and neither was the drop in the 1970's. (realclimatescience.com)
Revkin wrote Hansen: «given that quite a few folks (Gore and some environmentalists particularly) have often used the USA temp trends in arguments for action (string of record years), its hard for me to ignore the re-analysis of these annual temperatures...» Its hard to know exactly what Revkin is aiming to say; there is ambiguity. (climateaudit.org)
Temp trends which which begin before 1993/94 and after ~ 1981 are affected by the Pinatubo cooling (admittedly less so in the early 1980s than later). (realclimate.org)