Overview

• Swiss glaciers reached their Gletscherschwundtag in late June to early July for the first time, marking the earliest onset of substantive ice loss on record.
• An exceptionally low winter snowpack melted rapidly from late May onward, stripping away the insulating layer that normally protects the ice.
• Detailed mass-balance readings at about 20 key glaciers and additional summer surveys show minimal prospects for net ice recovery under current conditions.
• Since 1950, Swiss glacier volume has declined from 92.3 to 46.5 cubic kilometers, and there has been no year of net growth in over two decades.
• Glaciologists say similar early-melt patterns are emerging across the broader Alpine region, raising concerns about future water resources.