Swiss Glaciers Shrink by Over 5% in a Single Year as Snow Cover Fails
Switzerland’s glaciers lost more than 5 percent of their total ice volume in 2026 after a winter with little snow and a hot, dry summer. Measurements from the GLAMOS monitoring network showed average glacier thickness dropping by roughly 2.5 to 4 meters, with some tongues losing up to 10 meters. Two small glaciers, Bella Tola and Griessfirn, disappeared entirely, and nearly one-fifth of the country’s glacier volume has vanished in five years.
The GLAMOS network, based at ETH Zurich and the universities of Fribourg and Zurich, supplied the measurements behind the Swiss Academy of Sciences' annual glacier report. Though 2026 fell short of 2022's exceptional losses, it still ranked among the most severe years recorded.
Heat pushed the freezing level above 4,000 meters for 76 days — over twice the typical span and a Swiss record. Between July and September, melt released roughly 2,200 billion liters, exceeding four times the annual drinking water consumption of Swiss households.
The loss may affect water availability for households, agriculture, hydropower, and alpine tourism, particularly in late summer when glacial runoff buffers dry periods. Communities downstream could face greater variability in river flows and water shortages, while the disappearance of small glaciers may alter local landscapes and ecosystems that support recreation and regional economies.