ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / RankWire.AI / – In 2026, Switzerland’s glaciers experienced a loss of 5.5% of their ice mass, marking the second-largest decline ever recorded. This retreat followed a winter with very little snowfall and a hot summer. Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, known as GLAMOS, tracked these changes throughout the Swiss Alps. The Swiss Academy of Sciences also reported the national results. Over the last five years, nearly 20% of Switzerland’s glacier volume has been lost.
The winter of 2025 to 2026 was among Switzerland’s ten least snowy winters since measurements began. Hot, dry conditions persisted from May to September. The freezing level rose above 4,000 metres on 76 days during the warm season. That was more than twice the usual and set a Swiss record. By September, researchers found no snow left even at 3,500 metres, exposing glacier ice across the high Alps.
Average glacier thickness decreased by 2.5 to 4 metres during the 2026 measurement period. Some glacier tongues lost as much as 10 metres of ice. Several major glaciers experienced their largest melt since records began. These included the Allalin, Clariden, Great Aletsch, and Rhône glaciers. These losses made 2026 the second worst year for glacier melting in Switzerland, just behind 2022, the record holder.
Smaller Swiss glaciers vanish as ice loss accelerates
During this monitoring period, some smaller Swiss glaciers completely disappeared. Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus are among those that vanished. Their disappearance is part of a long-term decline across the Alps. Measurements show glacier volume has fallen by nearly 20% since 2021. This continuous loss coincides with several years of low snowfall and intense summer melting across much of the region.
The melting of Swiss glaciers also released huge amounts of water during the dry summer months. Between July and September, glaciers lost about 2.2 trillion litres of water. This volume exceeds four times Switzerland’s annual household drinking water consumption. The meltwater fed rivers and other water systems during a very dry summer. The data highlights how much glacier ice entered Switzerland’s water cycle in just three months of 2026.
Low snowfalls and summer heat drive 2026 glacier melt
The 2026 melt was less severe than the record set in 2022. Snow conditions partly explain this difference. Many glaciers started summer with slightly more snow than in 2022. Also, fewer Saharan dust particles settled on the snow this year. Cleaner snow reflects more sunlight, while dust-darkened surfaces absorb more solar energy and can increase melting when conditions are similar.
Despite these differences, the 2026 season saw significant ice loss at both high elevations and lower glacier tongues. It added another chapter to Switzerland’s long history of glacier retreat. Field measurements, snow surveys, and glacier mass-balance studies documented widespread ice loss, smaller glaciers disappearing, and major reductions in thickness through September. The year ranks among the most severe for Swiss glacier melt ever recorded, illustrating ongoing climate impacts.