MORRISTOWN, N.J., Nov. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) is monitoring developing weather conditions and preparing for the season's first significant snowfall, which could blanket northern New Jersey with up to nine inches of snow.

"FirstEnergy meteorologists are monitoring the weather conditions closely and we are prepared to deploy resources to areas that may be impacted," said Tony Hurley, JCP&L vice president of Operations. "Our storm pre-planning, combined with the infrastructure enhancement projects we continue to do throughout the JCP&L service area, are designed to reduce the number of outages our customers could experience due to the weather and speed the restoration process if outages do occur."

Additional crews will be available to work on Thanksgiving Day if needed.

The forecast calls for up to nine inches of wet snow in much of the northern half of New Jersey starting Wednesday morning and continuing into the evening. Heavy snow can snap tree limbs, damaging power lines and causing outages.

Customers who are without power are encouraged to call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report their outage or click the "Report Outage" link on www.firstenergycorp.com. In the event of severe weather, customers should immediately report downed wires to their utility or their local police or fire department. Customers should never go near a downed power line, even if they think it is no longer carrying electricity. Extra caution should be used in areas where downed lines are tangled in trees or other debris. Motorists are cautioned to treat intersections with inoperable traffic signals as four-way stops.

For updated information on the company's current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe, visit the 24/7 Power Center at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.

JCP&L customers also can use a free smartphone app to report outages and access important information and services related to their electric accounts. The app is available for Apple(®) iPhone(®) and Android((TM)) smartphones. Customers can use the keyword "FirstEnergy" to locate the apps in the online store.

In addition, customers can use FirstEnergy's text messaging service to report outages and receive updates on reported outages. Text REG to 544487 (LIGHTS) to get started.

JCP&L serves 1.1 million New Jersey customers in the counties of Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren. Follow JCP&L on Twitter @JCP_L, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JCPandL or online at www.jcp-l.com.

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jcpl-monitoring-weather-conditions-300001203.html

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.