To Stone in Macon:
Looked this up for the first time. The USDA zones are assigned based on winter low temperatures, each zone has a 10 deg range and is 10 deg warmer than the next lower zone, with some zones divided into a and b which have 5 deg ranges. Anyway, zone 10b is for areas with low temps between 35-40 degrees, not quite freezing, while 8a where you are is for low temps between 10-15 degrees, so definitely freezing over the winter. So pruning in fall here is possibly not be fatal
