ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a reduction of 5.5% in their total ice volume, marking the second-largest percentage decrease ever recorded. This significant loss followed a winter characterized by unusually sparse snowfall and a summer distinguished by extreme heat. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, compiled data on 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 period of 2025 to 2026 ranks among the ten least snowy winters in Switzerland since measurement began. Hot and dry conditions persisted from May through September, with the freezing level rising above 4,000 metres on 76 days during the warm season. This total more than doubled the average and set a Swiss record. By September, researchers observed no remaining snow at elevations around 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice across the high Alpine regions.
During the 2026 measurement window, average glacier thickness decreased between 2.5 and 4 metres. Some glaciers’ tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice. Multiple major glaciers documented their highest melt rates since records began, including the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers. These losses made 2026 the second most severe melt year after 2022, which remains the most impactful in Switzerland’s measurement history.
Smaller Swiss glaciers vanish as ice retreat accelerates
Several minor glaciers in Switzerland completely disappeared during the latest monitoring cycle. Among those were Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus. Their disappearance aligns with a broader, ongoing decline in the country’s Alpine ice fields. Data indicates that glacier volume has decreased by nearly 20% since 2021. This cumulative loss coincides with consecutive years of low snowfall and intense summer melting across much of the Swiss Alps.
The melting of Swiss glaciers during dry summer months resulted in the release of large water volumes. Between July and September alone, glaciers contributed approximately 2.2 trillion litres of water — over four times the annual drinking water needs of all Swiss households. This meltwater fed into Alpine rivers and other water systems during a period of widespread summer dryness. The figures highlight the vast amount of glacier ice that transitioned into Switzerland’s hydrological cycle within just three months of 2026.
Reduced snowfall and heatwaves drive 2026 glacier melt season
While the melt in 2026 did not surpass the record set in 2022, the season’s conditions help explain some of the differences between these two extreme years. Many glaciers entered the summer of 2026 with marginally more snow than in 2022. Additionally, fewer Saharan dust particles settled on the snow this year. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, whereas dust-darkened surfaces absorb more solar energy, increasing melting potential under similar conditions.
Despite these differences, the 2026 data revealed significant ice loss across both high-altitude and lower glacier tongues. The season added another chapter to Switzerland’s ongoing record of glacier retreat. Field measurements, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance observations documented widespread ice reductions, the disappearance of smaller glaciers, and substantial thickness decreases throughout the country through September. The findings underscore 2026 as one of the most severe years for glacier melt in Switzerland’s recorded history.