BROOKHAVEN — A smoky haze is lingering in Brookhaven like a fog. National Weather Service in Jackson reports the conditions for the last couple of hours has been overcast skies with haze before storms move in tonight.

According to the National Weather Service, haze is defined in as an aggregation in the atmosphere of very fine, widely dispersed, solid or liquid particles, or both, giving the air an opalescent appearance that subdues colors. NWS maps show Mississippi and Louisiana are experiencing smoky skies today. It is possible the haze is caused by natural or manmade air pollutants. Wildfires can be one cause of smoky skies.

Lincoln County and a majority of Southwest Mississippi is under a moderate air quality rating Thursday. AirNow.gov produces a map showing the air quality nationwide. Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency Director Chris Reid said there might not be a specific reason for why Brookhaven is so smoky today.

A grassfire in west Lincoln County covered about 80 acres and produced thick smoke Wednesday. It could be contributing to the conditions. Fire Information for Resource Management System satellites detected fires in southeastern Louisiana and around Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

At this time, the Homochitto National Forest is not doing any prescribed burning.