ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a reduction of 5.5% in their ice volume, marking the second-largest decline ever recorded. This significant decrease followed a winter characterized by scarce snowfall and a summer dominated by intense heat waves. 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 spanning 2025 to 2026 was among the ten least snowy on record since measurements started in Switzerland. Following this, hot and dry weather persisted from May through September, with the freezing level exceeding 4,000 metres on 76 days—more than twice the average—setting a Swiss record. By September, researchers noted the absence of snow even at elevations around 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice in the high Alpine regions.
During the 2026 measurement period, average glacier thickness decreased between 2.5 and 4 metres. Some glacier tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice. Multiple major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers, experienced their most extensive melt since record-keeping began. These losses placed 2026 just behind 2022, which remains the most severe glacier melt year in Switzerland’s historical data.
Smaller Swiss glaciers vanish as ice depletion accelerates
Complete disappearance was recorded for several smaller Swiss glaciers during this monitoring period. Among them, Bella Tola in the canton of Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus have disappeared entirely. Their loss is part of a broader trend of decline across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% since 2021. This cumulative reduction has occurred alongside repeated years of low snowfall and intense 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 contributed approximately 2.2 trillion litres of meltwater—more than four times the annual drinking water needs of all Swiss households. This meltwater fed into Alpine rivers and other water systems amidst widespread summer drought. The figures illustrate the volume of glacier ice transferred into Switzerland’s water cycle during just three months of 2026.
Diminished snowfall and summer heat drive 2026 glacier melt
While 2026 did not surpass the record melt of 2022, conditions contributed significantly to the extent of ice loss. Many glaciers entered the summer with marginally more snow than in 2022, and the amount of Saharan dust settling on the snow was also lower. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, reducing melting, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb more solar radiation, accelerating ice loss under similar conditions.
Despite these differences, the 2026 season saw extraordinary ice loss across both high altitudes and lower glacier tongues. The melt added another chapter to Switzerland’s extensive record of glacier decline. Field surveys, snow assessments, and mass-balance observations documented widespread ice reduction, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and significant decreases in glacier thickness. These findings confirm that 2026 ranks among the most severe years for Swiss glacier melt on record.