Cutting ornamental grasses in October is a habit left over from when tidy was the only goal. Leave them standing. Little bluestem and switchgrass hold their shape through most of a Westchester winter, catch the snow, and give you something to look at from the kitchen window.
They also shelter the insects that will feed the birds in spring. Many native bees and beneficial insects spend the winter in hollow stems and leaf litter.
Cut them in March, before the new growth starts. Take them down to about six inches, and stack the bundles out of the way until May, so whatever spent the winter in them can get out. Then compost them. If you wait until the new blades are up, you will cut those too.