I dont really think it is nessesary to get the snow out, but if you are really determined you can alays get an extension cord and a hair drier and put the hair drier on and melt all the snow. Thats a lot better than pouring water in the center, that would be a death sentence! 16F shouldnt do anything to an established, mature pindo palm.

My outdoor pindos took 14 degrees without heat and their still green.

I would leave the palm alone. Snow is actually very insulating! Ice tends to do more damage (to all plants--due to its WEIGHT, not its cold). Also not a good idea to water a cold-stressed palm. I think your tree will be fine. Good luck!

Leave the snow alone. As has been said, it does insulate. DO NOT, I reapeat, DO NOT ICE YOUR PALM. Palms are NOT citrus trees. What you saw/ read about ice on the citrus trees is true, for CITRUS trees, NOT for palms. Ice is far far more damaging to palms than straight up cold, or snow. In fact, I would not even water a cold stressed palm. I would just leave it alone. My windmill got snow (and even ice) in the crown both last winter, and this winter, and it was fine. The only time I bother removing the snow is when it gets so heavy that the fronds are severely bent down. Other than that, I just leave it alone.

Thanks for the advise,I was just weary because it got a little bud rot last winter.It got down to 8* for two nights,and the highs for those two days dident get above freezing, I think it got up to the mid 20's.Thank god we dident have snow or ice at that time.Does anybody know of any other feather palm besides the Butia Palms that will survive in my zone?

Butia is the most cold tolerant, sagos are worth a try because once the leaves die off they are pretty easy to protect, also queen palms are pretty cold tolerant, and mule palms are probably the next more cold tolerant feather palm (and one of the most attractive of all the feather palms).

good luck!

Thanks for all the info.TZ7 I bought 4 mule palms about a month ago and I potted them up to one gallon pots.They are growing very slowly,mabey they will speed up this summer,once I get them outside.I have tried sagos in the past(in the ground)and when the temps.droped below about 15* all the fronds turned brown.I cut them off,I thought mabey they would come back the next summer.When they hadent put out a new flush of fronds by june I checked the trunks, they had turned soft,mushy,they was dead.I have since found a sago that is known to be more cold hardy than cycas revoluta its Cycas panzhihuaensis,but they are hard to find and very slow growing.I found one place to get them its Plant Delights Nursery.I will be trying one this summer.I think the mule palms are a great looking feather palm too.Do you or anybody know where I can get a Butia Yata plant,all I can find Is seeds?Thanks again.

Sometimes I see Butia Yatay on ebay. im not sure of any other sources though.
Good luck with all your new plants!

Honestly I have been thinking about your palm by Atlanta for 2 weeks. I think your concern is VALID! The prolonged cold combined with other factors like ice and snow on the bud is threatening to a pindo, even a mature one.

I like the blow drier idea on low heat and becareful not to let it warm up too much - get that bud dry and cover the top and I would take an additional measure and get some Christmas ites on her whenever temps drop below 30* just so she can catch her breath and not be totally devasted by Spring. I would also place sandbags or stones at her base because your ground is getting too cold too freaquently. Yes a mature tree "should" pull through. Why take needless chance and you can have great summers to come and she can get really huge :)

I was thinking the same thing as you greg.This winter and last winter has been the coldest since I planted it.Our normal winter lows have never caused any damage.Last winter we only had that very hard freeze for two days without any moister,and I got some bud rot.Today on the local news the weather man checked to see if we have ever been this cold for this long.He said that he had to go back to 1982 to get close.In 1982 we had a blizzard,there was 12" of snow on the ground with snow drifts of 6to7feet.The snow lasted for four days,with lows of 17&18 and highs of 20&25.On the fifth day the temp.jumped up to 50* one day and 55* the next.The night temps.dident get below freezing,all that snow melted in 2 days.The weather man said for him to find when temps.got colder for longer,he had to go all the way back to 1877.Today we finally got normal winter time temps.since last thursday.Normal for us is 40*to60*for highs,and lows of 20*to40*To give you an example today was 47* and tonight it gonna be 26*,by sat.its gonna be 50*&41*.I am just glad to see the artic cold and snow gone,but I know it will be back,winter is not through yet.I checked the big pindo today and so far all its got was a little frond damage.If we get another artic blast I will build a removeable greenhouse around it.The plant stands about 10 feet tall and 8 feet across,fronds and all.Thanks for the advise everyone.I dont know about you all but Im ready for spring!!!!and what happened to global warming?

Good question, global warming appears more a political than real.

I agree, IF cold and snow returns to these levels take some precautions. My hope is we are getting the worst now.