Swiss Glaciers Experience Extreme Melting in 2026, Their Volume Decreased by 20% in the Last 5 Years

The Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS) and the Swiss Cryosphere Observation Commission affiliated with the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) have published a new report on glacier melting in the Alps.

The report emphasized that severe heat waves that were effective from May to September in Switzerland and a winter season with little snowfall caused another destructive process for the glaciers, and the following was noted:

"Swiss glaciers once again suffered extreme melting in 2026, with more than 5 percent of the ice mass disappearing. The average thickness of individual glaciers decreased by 2.5 to 4 meters. During the summer, the thickness of the glacier tongues dropped to 10 meters in some places. In the last 5 years alone, the glacier volume in Switzerland has decreased by almost 20 percent."

The report stated that snow thickness at all altitudes in the 2025-2026 winter, as in the previous year, remained well below the long-term average, and that the main reason for this was the low amount of precipitation.

The report states, "In terms of average snow depth, the winter season (November 2025 - April 2026) was among the 10 winter seasons with the least snowfall since the date of measurements. Every month from May to September witnessed dry conditions and at least one heat wave. During these months, the freezing limit was above 4 thousand meters for 76 days. This corresponds to more than 2 times the average and therefore constitutes a record." was used.

The report stated that the protective snow cover on the glaciers was partially destroyed during the heat waves in June, and that by September there was no snow left even at an altitude of 3,500 meters above sea level.

The report evaluated that "glaciers in the Alps do not have a chance of surviving in the long term under these conditions. This situation manifests itself in the disappearance of many small glaciers such as Bella Tola Glacier and Griessfiren/Plattalvafirn."

The report emphasized that the 2026 measurement period comes right after 2022, the highest glacial melting year on record, and noted the following:

"Despite warmer temperatures, many glaciers did not fully reach that year's loss amounts due to slightly higher snow accumulation compared to 2022. Additionally, in 2026, less Saharan dust settled on the snow surface, allowing for more reflection of sunlight. However, there were exceptions. In 2026, some glaciers, such as Allalin, Clariden, Aletsch and Rhone, experienced the largest melting amounts on record."

The report stated that glaciers lost approximately 2,200 billion liters of water in total between July and September, and that this amount was more than 4 times the annual drinking water consumption of all households in Switzerland.

The report noted that glacier melt currently continues to help alleviate summer water shortages, but pointed out that this impact has already decreased significantly as ice-covered areas shrink.