The combination of a strong high pressure system to the north and a nor'easter low pressure system that passed to the east of Delaware produced a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain across northern parts of the Eastern Shore and heavy rain across the southern part of the Eastern Shore. The heaviest rain fell during the day and early evening on the 16th. Storm totals averaged two to three inches across the region. Farther to the north sleet accumulations reached up to three inches in Cecil County with ice accretions generally less than one tenth of an inch.
Precipitation started as rain across the Eastern Shore during the evening of the 15th. But as colder air moved in aloft, precipitation changed to sleet during the morning of the 16th in Cecil County and in Kent County by the afternoon of the 16th. As the low pressure system tracked closer to the state during the afternoon of the 16th, the change to sleet stopped in Kent County. As the low moved farther offshore, and the winds backed more to the north, colder air filtered south into Queen Anne's County and changed precipitation over to sleet and freezing during the evening of the 16th. Precipitation fell as mainly rain in Talbot and Caroline Counties. All precipitation ended across the Eastern Shore by 1 a.m. EDT on the 17th.

In Cecil County, the Maryland State Route 213 Bridge was closed over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal at Chesapeake City during the afternoon because of a crash. Precipitation storm totals included 3.00 inches in Federalsburg (Caroline County), 2.80 inches in Salisbury (Wicomico County) and 2.73 inches at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Sleet accumulations included 3.0 inches in Conowingo (Cecil County) and 2.0 inches in Elkton (Cecil County).
The wintry mix and heavy rain were caused by a nor'easter low pressure system that developed on a cold front that moved through the area on the 15th. Prior to that, unseasonably mild air helped push high temperatures as high as the 70s. A strong high pressure system moved across nearby Canada and supplied a fresh supply of cold air into the region. Meanwhile, the low pressure system formed over South Carolina and Georgia on the morning of the 16th and moved northeast. At 2 p.m. EDT on the 16th, it was near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; at 8 p.m. EDT that evening, it was just east of Virginia Beach; at 2 a.m. EDT on the 17th, it was about 100 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey and was about 100 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts at 8 a.m. EDT on the 17th. As central pressures go, this was not particularly a powerful system; it was only 996 millibars the morning of the 17th. What contributed to the event was the strong high pressure system (about 1040 millibars the morning of the 16th). It supplied the fresh cold air needed to change the precipitation over to sleet and freezing rain and increased the pressure gradient (and consequently the wind) between itself and the developing nor'easter low pressure system.

Winter Weather in CECIL, MARYLAND
From 16-MAR-07 09:00:00 to 17-MAR-07 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in KENT, MARYLAND
From 16-MAR-07 12:00:00 to 17-MAR-07 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Weather in QUEEN ANNES, MARYLAND
From 16-MAR-07 18:00:00 to 17-MAR-07 00:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Rain in CAROLINE, MARYLAND
From 16-MAR-07 07:00:00 to 16-MAR-07 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: HENDERSON
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Heavy Rain in TALBOT, MARYLAND
From 16-MAR-07 07:00:00 to 16-MAR-07 19:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: CORDOVA
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet