This is our prize for enduring another warm, muggy Southern summer.

This is a gift, an early and lasting blast of cool coming our way that’s in sharp contrast to last September, when the heat lingered for too long.

This begins later today, sometime after the rain threat leaves and the winds shift to the North, Northwest, and a cool front pushes into the Oxford area. This will last, according to the latest forecast, for more than a week, with temperatures in the low to mid-50s at night and in the 70s during the day.

We’ll have low humidity, a northerly breeze and an early September that is absolutely fantastic.

So, let’s make the most of it. It’s a good time to start running. It’s a good time to take long walks. It’s a good time for an outdoor chore after work since the sun will still be shining.

On Saturday, it will be another fine day in the Grove, presenting what fans love to call “football weather.”

Sure, it’s after Labor Day so it’s time for cooler air. But this time last year we couldn’t break out of the 90s. Remember the Alabama game?

But Mother Nature is about to smile on us. For that, we are grateful.