Washington (dpa) - Stranded motorists were set up in emergency Red Cross shelters in Kentucky and the Virginia State Police begged drivers to stay off the road Saturday, as the eastern United States was shut down by a blizzard that has killed at least eight people.

The Virginia State Police were still asking people to stay off the roads as of about 7 am local time (1200 GMT) via Twitter, after responding to nearly 1,000 crashes Friday.

In neighbouring Kentucky, schools and churches near highways are being converted into shelters for motorists who can't continue their journeys, the Kentucky State Police said via Twitter.

Ulysses, Kentucky recorded the highest amount of snowfall so far for this storm, with 46 centimetres recorded between 11 pm Thursday and 3 am Saturday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. Thomas, West Virginia was battered with 43 centimetres.

Washington DC and Baltimore could receive more than 61 centimetres of snowfall before the storm is over, the College Park, Maryland-based weather centre said.

At least eight people have died as a result of the blizzard, according to US media.

As many as 85 million people live in the storm's path, CNN reported, with the US capital Washington and the city of Baltimore taking a direct hit.

Some petrol stations in the US capital were running out of fuel after residents were advised to have 72 hours' worth of supplies on hand, NBC News reported.

The National Weather Service posted a blizzard warning stretching over an area from northern Virginia to New York City. Philadelphia is also in the storm's path.

More than 7,600 flights have been cancelled this weekend, CNN reported citing the website Flightaware.com.

Power cuts were expected to surge as the storm grinds its way across the country's north-east.