ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a reduction of 5.5% in their ice volume during 2026, ranking as the second-largest percentage decrease ever recorded. This considerable loss was driven by a winter with notably scarce snowfall and a summer characterized by extreme heatwaves. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, documented these changes throughout the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Academy of Sciences also verified the national data. Over the past five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier volume has vanished.
The winter spanning 2025 to 2026 was among Switzerland’s ten least snowy winters since measurement began. Subsequently, persistent hot and dry weather persisted from May through September. The temperature at the freezing level surpassed 4,000 metres on 76 days during the warm season, a figure more than double the average and a Swiss record. By September, researchers found no remaining snow at elevations around 3,500 metres, leaving exposed glacier ice visible across high Alpine regions.
During the 2026 measurement interval, average glacier thickness decreased by between 2.5 and 4 metres. Some glaciers’ tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice, while several major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône, recorded their most significant melt since monitoring began. These losses made 2026 the second most severe melt year, just behind 2022, which still holds the record for the most extensive glacier melting in Switzerland’s historical data.
Decline of Smaller Glaciers Accelerates as Ice Losses Mount
Complete disappearance of several smaller Swiss glaciers occurred during the recent monitoring period. Among those are Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their vanishings are part of a broader trend of glacier decline across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that the total glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% since 2021. This cumulative reduction coincides with multiple years of low snowfall and intense summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The meltwater from Swiss glaciers during the dry summer months released vast quantities of water—approximately 2.2 trillion litres between July and September. This volume surpassed four times the annual drinking-water needs of all Swiss households. The meltwater contributed significantly to Alpine rivers and other water systems during a period marked by widespread summer drought. These figures illustrate the substantial amount of glacier ice that transitioned into Switzerland’s water cycle within just three months of 2026.
Warm Temperatures and Sparse Snowfall Defined 2026’s Melting Season
Although the glacier melt in 2026 did not reach the record levels set in 2022, snow conditions played a role in this difference. Many glaciers entered the summer with slightly more snow than in 2022. Additionally, less Saharan dust settled on the snow surface this year. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb more solar energy, potentially accelerating melting when other conditions are similar.
Nonetheless, the 2026 data revealed significant ice loss across both high-altitude zones and lower glacier tongues. The season added yet another year to Switzerland’s ongoing history of substantial glacier retreat. Field observations, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance measurements documented widespread ice loss, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and major decreases in thickness. These findings place 2026 among the most severe years in Switzerland’s glacier melt record.