Crews from Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) and other FirstEnergy utilities continue to restore service and assess the damage caused by the heavy, wet snow that covered parts of its northern New Jersey service area this weekend. As of early Sunday evening, the company has restored service to more than 85,000 customers, with 275,000 still without power.

The affected counties include Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Downed trees and branches and impassable roads have hampered restoration efforts.

"Based on the best available assessment information we have, we anticipate that 95 percent of our customers will be restored by Thursday, with the remainder restored by Friday," said JCP&L President Donald M. Lynch. "Today we have more than 3,000 line, support and forestry personnel working around-the-clock to restore service."

Lynch adds that the company is working to determine estimated restoration times by county today and expects to be able to provide restoration times by city on Monday. Information will be shared with local officials and customers as soon as it is available.

FirstEnergy has mobilized additional internal crews and support personnel to assist with possible power outages in New Jersey, and is working to secure outside utility crews, electrical contractors and tree contractors to assist with the restoration process.