Although the brown snow is not considered toxic, it is recommended to avoid contact with skin. "We are confident that the public safety concerns are minimal at this time. In the meantime out of an abundance of caution please avoid ingesting or direct skin contact with the brown snow," Rumford officials wrote on Facebook.

Residents in Maine were warned to stay away from brown snow that suddenly started falling in Rumford, a town about two hours north of Portland, on Tuesday.

Residents in parts of Rumford, Maine saw brown snow falling in the area earlier this week. Authorities are warning people not to touch or ingest it.

Brown snow fell in the Maine town of Rumford after a malfunction at a paper mill caused the release of spent black liquor.

Recent rounds of winter weather have been impacting portions of the Northeast and New England, but residents in one Maine town were greeted with a peculiar sight on Tuesday -- brown snow.

A couple inches of snow fell in Rumford Monday night and Tuesday morning, but in parts of the community, people noticed brown or tan snow falling from the sky. The town said Tuesday there was a malfunction at the paper mill that caused a release of spent black liquor,

RUMFORD (WGME) -- The Town of Rumford is warning residents to stay away from "brown snow." The town says a malfunction at the mill released spent black liquor, causing tan or brownish snow. This is mostly affecting areas near the mill, like Falmouth Street, Cumberland Street and Waldo Street.

Residents of Rumford, Maine were taken aback when brown snow fell on parts of the town, following a malfunction at the ND Paper mill. The mill reported that equipment vented into the atmosphere, releasing residual black liquor, a byproduct of the paper-making process, into the air.

Residents of a Maine town are being asked to avoid touching or ingesting the “brown” show that fell in the area.