ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – Switzerland’s glaciers decreased their ice volume by 5.5% in 2026, marking the second-largest percentage drop ever recorded. This decline followed a winter characterized by unusually low snowfall and a summer dominated by extreme heat. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, documented these changes throughout the Swiss Alps. Additionally, the Swiss Academy of Sciences reported the national findings. Over the past five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier mass has vanished.
The winter spanning 2025 to 2026 ranks among Switzerland’s ten least snowy since measurements started. From May to September, hot and dry conditions persisted, with the freezing level rising above 4,000 metres on 76 days. This was more than double the average, setting a Swiss record. By September, researchers observed no remaining snow even at about 3,500 metres elevation, exposing glacier ice across high Alpine regions.
During the 2026 measurement window, the average thickness of glaciers decreased by between 2.5 and 4 metres. Some glacier tongues experienced ice loss of up to 10 metres. Several major glaciers, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers, registered their most significant melt since records began. These losses positioned 2026 just behind 2022 as the most severe glacier melt year in Switzerland’s documented history.
Decline of smaller Swiss glaciers accelerates as ice loss intensifies
A number of smaller Swiss glaciers completely disappeared during the latest observation period. Among those were Bella Tola in the canton of Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their disappearance is part of a broader trend of glacier retreat across Switzerland’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that the total glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% since 2021. This cumulative reduction has coincided with multiple years of limited snowfall and substantial summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The melting glaciers also released significant amounts of water during the dry summer months. Between July and September, glaciers contributed approximately 2.2 trillion litres of water—more than four times the annual drinking-water needs of all Swiss households. This meltwater fed into Alpine rivers and other water systems during a period marked by widespread summer drought. The figures highlight how a large volume of glacier ice entered Switzerland’s water cycle within just three months of 2026.
Impact of reduced snowfall and summer heat on the 2026 melting period
Although the glacier melt in 2026 was substantial, it remained below the record set in 2022. Snow conditions partly account for the differences observed between these two extreme years. Many glaciers entered the summer of 2026 with marginally more snow than in 2022, and less Saharan dust settled on the snow this year. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb more solar energy, potentially increasing melting when other factors are similar.
Nonetheless, the 2026 season saw exceptional ice loss at both high altitudes and lower glacier tongues. This year added yet another chapter to Switzerland’s extensive record of glacier retreat. Field studies, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance data tracked changes across the country through September’s end. The findings reveal widespread ice depletion, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and significant reductions in glacier thickness, positioning 2026 among the most severe melt years documented in Switzerland.