The tiller with its less gentle action would leave clots of soil and it has a compacting effect. You might wonder how I can work my soil so soon after rain and snow. There are two factors that make it possible. In the winter it freezes which makes it impervious to water. The frost can go as deep as four feet under my garden in an uncovered winter.
Snow acts as an insulation and keeps the cold from getting so deep.
Last winter we had snow cover most of the cold season and my garden opened up earliest in twenty five years of gardening the same spot. When the frost is deep it takes longer to thaw and while it is waiting to thaw all the snow melt and rain water have to either run off or evaporate. There is almost always a lot of water held in the surface soil in the spring until the frost finally thaws. I think of it as a bathtub full of water. When the frost goes the water can drain through the soil and the garden dries rapidly after that.