ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a 5.5% decrease in their ice reserves in 2026, marking the second-largest decline ever recorded. This substantial loss followed a winter characterized by unusually sparse snowfall and a summer dominated by extreme heat. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, tracked these changes throughout the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Academy of Sciences also issued reports on the national findings. Over the past five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier volume has vanished.
Switzerland experienced one of its ten least snowy winters from 2025 to 2026 since the start of measurements. A prolonged period of hot and dry conditions persisted from May through September. During the warm season, the freezing level surpassed 4,000 metres on 76 days, more than double the average, setting a Swiss record. By September, researchers observed no remaining snow even at elevations of around 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice across high-altitude regions of the Alps.
During the 2026 measurement period, average glacier thickness decreased by between 2.5 and 4 metres. Some glacier tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice. Several major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers, recorded their highest melt rates since monitoring began. These losses placed 2026 just behind 2022, which remains the most severe glacier melt year in Switzerland’s record.
Smaller Swiss glaciers vanish as ice loss accelerates
During the latest monitoring phase, several smaller glaciers in Switzerland completely disappeared. The Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus were among those that vanished. Their disappearance is part of a long-term decline across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% since 2021. This cumulative loss has coincided with multiple years of low snowfall and significant summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The melting of Swiss glaciers also released vast quantities of water during the dry summer months. Between July and September, glaciers lost approximately 2.2 trillion litres of water, exceeding four times the annual drinking-water needs of all Swiss households. This meltwater fed into Alpine rivers and other water systems during a period marked by widespread summer drought. The data highlights how much glacier ice was transferred into Switzerland’s water cycle in just three months of 2026.
Impact of low snowfall and summer heat on the 2026 melt season
The glacier melt in 2026, although significant, did not reach the record levels set in 2022. Snow conditions contributed to the differences between these two extreme years. Many glaciers entered the summer of 2026 with slightly more snow than in 2022. Additionally, fewer Saharan dust deposits on the snow this year meant cleaner snow reflected more sunlight, while surfaces covered in dust absorbed more solar energy, potentially accelerating melting under similar conditions.
Nevertheless, despite these variations, the 2026 season witnessed extraordinary ice loss across both high-altitude zones and lower glacier tongues. This season added another chapter to Switzerland’s extensive record of glacier decline. Field observations, snow surveys, and mass-balance measurements documented changes nationwide through the end of September. The findings reveal widespread ice depletion, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and significant reductions in glacier thickness. Overall, 2026 ranks among the most severe years for Swiss glacier melt on record.