More than 2,300 Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) utility workers are laboring in snow and icy conditions to restore power to tens of thousands of customers across New Jersey after a powerful blizzard knocked out service to nearly 170,000 homes and businesses, the company said this afternoon.

JCP&L said 169,000 of their customers lost power as heavy, wet snow and high winds swept through its service territory, toppling trees, snapping poles and bringing down power lines. As of Monday afternoon, service had been restored to more than half of those customers, with about 75,000 still without electricity, including 23,115 in Ocean County.

The company said crews are working around the clock in what it described as “difficult, often treacherous conditions,” including blowing snow and icy roadways.

Restoration efforts require a series of labor-intensive steps, beginning with clearing hazards such as downed wires, fallen trees and blocked roads to allow safe access to damaged equipment. Once sites are secured, crews repair high-voltage transmission lines that supply electricity to local distribution lines, restore service to critical public facilities and then prioritize outages affecting the largest numbers of customers before addressing more localized issues.

Meanwhile, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority said it is in the speed limits on both the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway will return to normal effective at 5pm today. Speed limits had been reduced to 35 mph during the height of the storm.

Utility officials said they are continuing to assess damage and field conditions and expect to provide estimated restoration times later in the day.

Customers who remain without power are urged to report outages by texting “OUT” to 544487, visiting the company’s website or calling its outage hotline.

Officials also reminded residents to keep at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and anything they may be touching, and to call 911 to report hazardous conditions. Residents using generators were advised to operate them outdoors only and to ensure their home’s power supply is disconnected to prevent electricity from feeding back onto utility lines and endangering workers.

The utility cautioned against using gas stoves, grills or outdoor heaters for warmth, noting the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and recommended using flashlights or battery-powered lanterns instead of candles to reduce fire hazards.

Crews will continue working until all remaining customers have their power restored, the company said.

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