The WSR-88D gives the radar operator a good look into maturing thunderstorms, and can even detect tornadic signatures in favorable environments. However, without spotter reports to verify radar signatures, all the forecaster has is a pretty picture. The following is the Colby, Kansas tornado of August 6, 1996 as seen by the Goodland Doppler Radar Base Reflectivity Product. Spotter reports played a crucial role in the advance warning of this event.

The golden circle indicates what meteorologists call a "mesocyclone", which is what makes a storm a supercell. A mesocyclone is the rotating updraft of a storm. At the mesoscyclone, the radar scan shows that the storm had a "hook echo", where the Colby tornado was actually located.