ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Switzerland’s glaciers underwent a significant reduction in ice volume, losing 5.5%, marking the second-largest decline ever recorded. The shrinkage was driven by a winter with unusually sparse snowfall coupled with a summer characterized by intense heat. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, tracked these changes across the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Academy of Sciences also issued reports confirming the national findings. Over the past five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier mass has vanished.
Switzerland experienced one of its ten least snowy winters during the winter of 2025 to 2026, based on measurement records. Persisting hot and dry conditions from May through September further exacerbated ice loss. During the warm season, the freezing level rose above 4,000 metres on 76 days, surpassing twice the usual average and setting 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, glacier thickness decreased by an average of 2.5 to 4 metres. Some glaciers’ tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice. Several major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône, recorded their highest melt since measurements started. These losses positioned 2026 just behind 2022, which remains the most severe glacier melt year in Switzerland’s recorded history.
Decline of Smaller Swiss Glaciers Accelerates as Ice Vanishes
Complete disappearance occurred among several smaller glaciers during this monitoring period. Among them were Bella Tola in the canton of Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus, both now vanished. Their disappearance highlights a broader trend of glacier decline across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that glacier volume has decreased by nearly one-fifth since 2021. This cumulative loss coincides with multiple years of low snowfall and intense summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The melting of Swiss glaciers also resulted in the release of substantial volumes of water during the dry summer months. Between July and September, glaciers contributed about 2.2 trillion litres of meltwater, exceeding four times the annual drinking-water needs of all Swiss households. This meltwater fed into Alpine rivers and water systems during a period of widespread summer dryness, demonstrating how stored glacier ice significantly entered Switzerland’s water cycle in just three months of 2026.
2026 Melt Season Shaped by Sparse Snowfall and Elevated Temperatures
The losses experienced in 2026, though severe, did not surpass the record melt of 2022. Variations in snow conditions partly explain the differences between these two extreme years. Many glaciers entered the 2026 summer with slightly more snow than in 2022. Additionally, less Saharan dust settled on the snow this year. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb additional solar energy, potentially increasing melting under similar conditions.
Despite these differences, the 2026 data revealed significant ice loss at both high elevations and lower glacier tongues. The season added another chapter to Switzerland’s ongoing glacier decline record. Field measurements, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance observations documented widespread ice reduction, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and notable decreases in glacier thickness. These findings place 2026 among the most severe years for Swiss glacier melting to date.