ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – The Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network, known as GLAMOS, reported that Switzerland’s glaciers lost 5.5% of their ice mass in 2026, marking the second-largest decline ever recorded. This significant decrease followed a winter with unusually scarce snowfall and a summer characterized by extreme heat. The Swiss Academy of Sciences also confirmed these findings. Over the past five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier volume has vanished.
The winter of 2025 to 2026 was among Switzerland’s ten least snowy since the start of measurements. Hot and dry conditions persisted from May through September, with the freezing level rising above 4,000 metres on 76 days during the warm season. This figure more than doubled the average and set a new Swiss record. By September, researchers observed no remaining snow at elevations around 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice across high Alpine regions.
During the 2026 measurement period, the average thickness of glaciers decreased by between 2.5 and 4 metres. Some glacier tongues experienced ice losses of up to 10 metres. Several major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers, documented their highest melt levels since measurements began. These losses positioned 2026 just behind 2022, which remains the most severe glacier melt year recorded in Switzerland.
Smaller glaciers in Switzerland vanish as ice loss accelerates
Complete disappearance was recorded for several smaller Swiss glaciers during this latest observation period. Notable examples include Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their disappearance is part of a broader downward trend across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields, with measurements indicating nearly a one-fifth reduction in glacier volume since 2021. This ongoing decline coincides with repeated years of low snowfall and intense summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The meltwater from Swiss glaciers during the dry summer months also contributed significantly to local water systems. Between July and September, glaciers released approximately 2.2 trillion litres of water—more than four times Switzerland’s annual household drinking-water consumption. This meltwater flowed into Alpine rivers and other waterways during a period of widespread summer drought, illustrating how stored glacier ice entered the water cycle within just three months of 2026.
Limited snowfall and summer heat drove the 2026 melting season
While the 2026 glacier melt was notable, it remained below the record set in 2022. Snow conditions at the start of the season partly explain this difference. Many glaciers began the summer with slightly more snow cover than in 2022. Additionally, less Saharan dust settled on the snow this year; cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, reducing melting, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb more solar energy, increasing melt rates when other factors are similar.
Nevertheless, the 2026 season saw remarkable ice loss across both high-altitude zones and lower glacier tongues. This year’s melt contributed to Switzerland’s ongoing glacier decline. Field measurements, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance observations documented widespread ice reduction, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and substantial thickness decreases throughout the country through September. The data confirm that 2026 ranks among the most severe years for Swiss glacier melting in recorded history.