‘Catastrophic’ Glacier Loss: Swiss Glaciers Shed a Fifth of Their Mass in Five Years

Swiss glaciers lose nearly 20% of ice in five years, 2026 sees second-worst melt

Switzerland’s glaciers have lost nearly 20% of their ice volume since 2021, with 2026 recording the second-largest annual melt since measurements began, according to the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) network. Glaciers across the country lost 5.5% of their volume this year, following a winter marked by low snowfall and a record-hot summer. GLAMOS chief Matthias Huss called 2026 “a catastrophic year” for Swiss glaciers.

“The glaciers this year have lost enormous quantities of ice,” Huss said.

At the Scex Rouge glacier, located at nearly 3,000 metres above sea level, Huss said the glacier could disappear within the next 10 to 15 years. A four-metre measurement stake installed in July was almost entirely buried at the time but had more than three metres exposed by September.

Glacier melt more than doubles

According to the GLAMOS report, the rate of glacier loss between 2022 and 2026 was more than twice that recorded during any previous five-year period. The pace of decline has accelerated sharply over recent decades. Switzerland lost about 10% of its glacier ice between 1990 and 2000, compared with 27% in the past 10 years.

GLAMOS based its latest assessment on measurements from 23 reference glaciers and extrapolated the results to the nearly 1,300 glaciers remaining across Switzerland.

Record heat worsens ice loss

The latest melt followed an exceptionally hot summer. June, July and August were each the hottest on record in Switzerland since measurements began in 1864, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology.

Glacier snow cover, which protects the underlying ice from sunlight, had already been heavily depleted during June’s heatwaves and disappeared completely by September, including at high elevations. “Alpine glaciers have no chance of surviving in the long term under such conditions,” GLAMOS said.

Some glaciers lost 2.5 to 4 metres of average ice thickness, while exposed glacier tongues lost up to 10 metres during the summer.

Rhone, Aletsch glaciers see record melt

The overall 2026 melt was below the record set in 2022, partly because many glaciers received more snowfall before the summer melt than they did four years ago. Reduced Sahara dust deposition also helped reflect more sunlight away from glacier surfaces.

However, four major glaciers recorded their highest annual melt, including the Rhone Glacier and Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps.

2.2 trillion litres of water lost

The accelerating retreat is also raising concerns about future water supplies.

Swiss glaciers lost an estimated 2.2 trillion litres of water between July and September alone.

Huss said the figure was difficult to comprehend, pointing out that it was more than four times the annual freshwater consumption of Swiss households.

The continuing loss of glacier ice could affect the long-term availability of water from the Alps, particularly as the glaciers that act as natural water reserves continue to shrink.