Brown snow falls in Maine following paper mill malfunction

RUMFORD, Maine (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Residents of Rumford, Maine, were treated to a not-so-white pre-Christmas on Tuesday, December 10, when a paper mill malfunction led to brown snow.

Photos from Corbin Wardwell show the murky snow, which resulted after spent black liquor, a by-product of the paper-making process, was released from Rumford's paper mill.

Town officials said locals should avoid ingesting or having direct skin contact with the snow, out of "an abundance of caution."

Upon testing, the snow was revealed to have a pH level of around 8, Rumford officials said, just slightly higher than water on the pH scale.