ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In Switzerland, glaciers lost 5.5% of their ice volume during the year 2026, marking the second-largest percentage decrease ever documented. This decline followed a winter characterized by unusually low snowfall and a summer marked by extreme heat. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, tracked these changes across 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.
The winter of 2025 to 2026 ranked among the ten least snowy winters since measurements began in Switzerland. Hot and dry conditions persisted from May through September, with the freezing level surpassing 4,000 metres on 76 days during the warm season. This was more than twice the average, setting a new Swiss record. By September, scientists observed no remaining snow at elevations around 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice across high Alpine regions.
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 most significant melt since monitoring started. These losses positioned 2026 just behind 2022, which remains the most severe year for glacier melt in Switzerland’s record.
Reduced Swiss glaciers vanish as ice loss accelerates
During the latest observation period, several smaller Swiss glaciers completely disappeared, such as Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their disappearance is part of a long-term downward trend across Switzerland’s alpine ice fields. Data shows that glacier volume has declined by nearly 20% since 2021. This substantial loss has occurred amidst repeated years of minimal snowfall and intense summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The melting of Swiss glaciers also released large 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 consumption of all Swiss households. Meltwater fed into Alpine rivers and other water systems during a period of widespread summer dryness. These figures highlight how much glacier ice entered Switzerland’s water cycle within just three months of 2026.
2026 melt season shaped by sparse snowfall and summer heat
Although the glacier losses in 2026 did not surpass the record melt of 2022, snow conditions played a role in this difference. Many glaciers entered the summer with marginally more snow than in 2022, and fewer Saharan dust particles settled on their surfaces this year. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, whereas dust-darkened areas absorb more solar energy, potentially increasing melting when other conditions remain similar.
Nevertheless, the 2026 data reveal significant ice loss across both high elevations and lower glacier tongues, adding another year to Switzerland’s ongoing trend of substantial decline. Field measurements, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance observations documented widespread ice reduction, disappearance of smaller glaciers, and notable decreases in glacier thickness. These findings confirm 2026 as one of the most severe years for glacier melt in Switzerland’s recorded history.