ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a reduction of 5.5% in their total ice volume, marking the second-largest decrease ever recorded. This significant loss followed a winter characterized by unusually low snowfall and a summer dominated by extreme heat. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, tracked these changes across the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Academy of Sciences also published the nationwide findings. Over the past five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier mass has vanished.
The winter season of 2025 to 2026 ranked among the ten least snowy winters in Switzerland since the start of measurements. Persistent hot and dry conditions then extended from May through September. During the warm season, the freezing level exceeded 4,000 metres on 76 days, more than double the average and setting a Swiss record. By September, researchers observed no remaining snow at elevations around 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice across the high Alpine regions.
Average glacier thickness decreased between 2.5 and 4 metres during the 2026 measurement period. Some glaciers’ tongues saw ice loss of up to 10 metres. Several major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers, documented their greatest melt since records began. These losses placed 2026 just behind 2022, which remains the most severe year for glacier melt in Switzerland’s historical record.
Depletion of Smaller Swiss Glaciers Accelerates with Widespread Ice Loss
Complete disappearance occurred for several smaller glaciers, such as Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their vanishing is part of a longer-term decline observed across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that glacier volume has diminished by nearly 20% since 2021. This ongoing reduction coincides with multiple years of minimal snowfall and intense summer melting over much of the Swiss Alps.
The melting of Swiss glaciers during the dry summer months also released substantial volumes of water. Between July and September, glaciers lost approximately 2.2 trillion litres of water—more than four times Switzerland’s annual household drinking-water needs. This meltwater fed Alpine rivers and other water systems amid widespread summer drought conditions. The figures demonstrate how much glacier ice transitioned into the Swiss water cycle in just three months of 2026.
Climate Factors: Reduced Snowfall and Summer Temperatures Drive 2026 Meltdown
While the 2026 glacier melt was notable, it fell short of the record set in 2022. Snow conditions partly explain the difference; many glaciers entered the summer with marginally more snow than in 2022. Additionally, less Saharan dust settled on the snow this year. Cleaner snow reflected more sunlight, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb greater solar energy, potentially increasing melting when other conditions are comparable.
Nonetheless, the 2026 data reveal significant ice loss across both high-altitude and lower glacier tongues, adding another chapter to Switzerland’s extensive glacier record. Field observations, snow surveys, and mass-balance measurements documented widespread ice depletion through the end of September. The findings highlight extensive melting, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and substantial reductions in glacier thickness, positioning 2026 among Switzerland’s most severe glacier melt years.