The surface albedo time series CLARA-A2 SAL was used to study trends in the snow melt start and end dates, the melting season length and the albedo value preceding the melt onset in Finland during 1982–2016. The results were compared with corresponding snow melt timing calculated using the land ecosystem model JSBACH. In addition, the melt onset was compared with the greening-up timing based on MODIS data. Likewise the end of snow melt was compared with the melt-off day product by SYKE based on Fractional Snow Cover time-series provided by Copernicus CryoLand service and the FMI operational end of snow melt dates based on in situ measurements. It turned out that the albedo threshold 20 % of the melting season dynamic variation corresponded well to the melt estimate of the permanent snow layer. The greening-up followed the albedo threshold 1 % within 5–13 days, more rapidly in mountainous areas and more slowly on coastal areas. In two northern vegetation map areas a clear trend to earlier snow melt onset (0.5–0.6 days per year) and increasing melting season length (0.6–0.7 days per year) was observed. In the forested part of northern Finland a clear decreasing trend in albedo (0.2 %–0.3 % per year in absolute albedo percentage) before the start of the melt onset was observed. The increased stem volume explained the trend.