The realtime characteristics of vertical profiles of radar reflectivity during four weather processes from 2004 to 2007 are analyzed on the basis of the volume scan data from the Doppler radar at Shijiazhuang and the nearly simultaneous 10minute precipitation measurements from rain gauges, and meaningful results are gained. There were obvious bright bands on the zerotemperature layer in stratiform clouds or merging cloud echoes, but there was no bright band in shorttime rainstorms. Radar reflectivity vertical profiles varied greatly during a hailing process: before hailing with the maximum reflectivity at middle or upper levels, while hailing with the height of maximum reflectivity descending, and after hailing with the maximum reflectivity weakening. During snowing, bright bands of zerotemperature layer were not clear. In the mountain area west of Shijiazhuang, the precipitation and echo intensity in stratiform clouds or merging clouds are usually overestimated because of the impacts of the bright bands on the zerotemperature layer. Compared with the lowest elevation method, the estimated precipitation by using the vertical profile method is more accurate for shorttime heavy rainfall, and shows improvement for homogeneous rainfall. It is a useful and easy method for convective weather forecasting in the areas with large shield angles or without rain gauges