You live in an area with quickly changing climatic zones. Are you in the valley area near the bay?

Don't prune the plant if it is not in strong growth. Most pruning of Salvias takes place during summers when there is a lot of growing, and after growth has resumed in the spring. It is usually not a good idea to prune after it has gone into cold weather dormancy.

Is the lemony creamy sage a Mexican or Old World sage?

When I grew Pineapple Sage in Orange County, CA it would bloom stongly them eventually get tall and leggy. By the time it was starting to look ragged on top, there was usually fresh growth near the base or on the lower branches. I'd prune back the tall, leggy stems leaving fresh growing younger stems to start a new generation of flowers. This cycle of blooming then getting leggy repeated several times per year and didn't seem to be strongly related to season. I pruned in winter sometimes and the plants always responded with new growth, although in mid winter (December and january) the response wasn't as immediate as it would be at other times of the year. I think you could prune the plants at any time of the year without damaging them.

my salvia elegans grow to about 3 feet every fall and right about now are looking pretty ragged. i will prune them all the way to the ground in a couple of weeks(about 3 inches high) and let my nepeta grow over it through spring, then it comes back strong around may.

maybe its different in NC, but the one time i didn't winter prune, it just sat there looking bad for 3-4 months, and then started basal growth like ladyslipper described.

I'm in South SF Bay, too. I usually prune the fall blooming ones in late Feb. and again in mid summer to keep them more compact.
The summer blooming ones are pruned in fall.

Indigo spires are whacked any ole time.

wanda