Swiss glaciers lose 5.5% of ice volume after low snowfall and record heat

Switzerland’s glaciers lost 5.5% of their ice volume in 2026, the second-largest annual decline on record after 2022, according to new data from the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland network, or GLAMOS.

The losses followed a winter that ranked among Switzerland’s 10 least snowy since measurements began and a hot, dry period from May through September. Summer heat waves lifted the freezing point above 4,000 metres for 76 days, more than twice the average and a national record. By September, no snow remained even at elevations of 3,500 metres, leaving glaciers without a protective layer.

Average glacier thickness declined by 2.5 to 4 metres, while some glacier tongues lost as much as 10 metres. The Rhône, Aletsch and Clariden glaciers recorded their greatest melt to date, and smaller glaciers including Bella Tola in Valais and Griessfirn in Glarus disappeared completely.

Nearly 20% of Switzerland’s total glacier volume has vanished over the past five years. From July through September, the glaciers released about 2.2 trillion litres of water, temporarily easing summer shortages, but researchers said that contribution will diminish as glacier area continues to shrink.

GLAMOS chief Matthias Huss attributed the current warming to human-caused climate change and said Alpine glaciers cannot survive in the long term under such conditions.