ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a reduction of 5.5% in their ice volume, representing the country’s second-largest annual percentage decrease ever recorded. The decline followed a winter with limited snowfall and a summer characterized by multiple heatwaves. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, also known as GLAMOS, assessed the ice loss throughout the Swiss Alps during that season. The Swiss Academy of Sciences indicated that nearly 20% of the nation’s glacier volume has vanished over the past five years.
Switzerland’s winter of 2025 to 2026 ranks among the ten least snowy since systematic measurements started. From May to September, persistent hot and dry conditions heightened stress on exposed glacier surfaces. The temperature at the freezing level surpassed 4,000 metres on 76 days—more than double the average for the warm season. By September, scientists observed no snow remaining at elevations around 3,500 metres in the monitored zones.
During this latest monitoring period, the average thickness of glaciers decreased by approximately 2.5 to 4 metres. Certain glacier tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice. Key glaciers like Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône experienced their most significant melt since measurements began. Only 2022 saw a larger percentage loss nationally in Switzerland’s ongoing glacier record. This widespread retreat impacted both high-altitude ice and lower glacier regions across the Alps.
Retreat of smaller glaciers signals deepening Alpine ice loss
During 2026, several smaller glaciers completely vanished, such as Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their disappearance underscores a broader trend of persistent ice depletion across Switzerland’s Alpine zones. National data reveal glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% since 2021. These recent losses follow consecutive years of minimal snowfall and intense summer melting. Researchers observed widespread thinning across both large glaciers and smaller ice masses.
Between July and September, glacier melt released about 2.2 trillion litres of water, exceeding four times the annual drinking-water use of Swiss households. This meltwater flowed into Alpine rivers and water systems amid widespread summer drought. The figures highlight the substantial volume of ice transferred into Switzerland’s water cycle within just three months. Elevated summer temperatures further accelerated ice loss at many monitoring sites.
Snow cover differences explain why 2026 did not match record melt years
Although the 2026 melt was significant, it did not surpass the record set in 2022, when glacier conditions were even more extreme. A key difference was the snow cover at the start of summer, with many glaciers beginning the melt season with slightly more snow than in 2022. Additionally, fewer Saharan dust particles settled on snow in 2026, meaning cleaner snow reflected more sunlight, while dustier surfaces absorbed more solar energy.
Despite these differences, Switzerland still experienced remarkable glacier loss across both high elevations and lower ice tongues in 2026. Field surveys, snow measurements, and mass-balance observations documented changes through the end of September. The data confirmed extensive ice loss, disappearance of smaller glaciers, and notable reductions in glacier thickness nationwide. This year ranks among the most severe in Switzerland’s glacier measurement history. The recent figures add to a pattern of sharp contraction in the glacier system over recent years.