UPDATE: Summit Schools Close Due to Storm

Update 12:51 p.m. Monday

More than 5,570 Summit residents remain without power according to a JCP&L outtage map.

In Union County, there are about 19,000 Jersey Central Power & Light customers out of service.
JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano said he expects power to be 95 percent restored by Thursday in most places and by Friday for the remainder of the outages. Town-by-town estimated times of return would not be available until later today or Tuesday, he said.

Morano said tree damage is everywhere and the accumulation of the heavy wet snow on top of trees that still had leaves led to the downed trees and nearby power lines. The unseasonably early snowstorm has left thousands of northern New Jersey residents without power and Morano said that is the big difference between the recent snow and Hurricane Irene. Irene affected outages for customers across the state, while the snowstorm was mostly concentrated in northern New Jersey.

Morano said some customers might have seen power restore and then go out again and continue in that pattern. "When we are restoring customers, it becomes necessary to take some customers out for safety reasons as we make repairs," he said. "Also, you have new outages happening as we are working;
trees are still falling days after the storm."

Morano doesn't expect the outage number to rise anymore as much of the snow has melted. He said crews continue to work around the clock to restore power.

Update 3:38 p.m. Sunday Residents without power may go to Summit Middle School on 272 Morris Ave, which is operating as a warming center and charging station for your electronic and cellular phone equipment.  Summit High School was originally mentioned as the warming station, but Police issued an update at 3:20 p.m.

New Jersey Transit trains along the Morris and Essex lines are to remain suspended through Monday, according to NJ Transit.

Resident Andy Winchell reports that Mountain Avenue "remains closed because of downed trees and [power lines] lines." 

Summit Police urge residents to stay indoors, and released the following list of closures and emergency updates: 

• The Summit Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, October 31st. 

•  Halloween trick or treating is postponed to Friday, November 4th. 

• The electrical utility, JCP&L reports that restoration of power may take several days. 

• A warming and charging station has been opened at Summit High School – no pets please. 

For further updates from JCP&L check their Twitter page and website. Stay tuned to Summit Patch for more weather related news.