Switzerland’s glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, losing 2.4% of their volume in 2024 – even after heavy snowfall this winter. A new report by Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) reveals that Sahara Desert sandstorms and rising temperatures turbocharged summer ice loss, leaving experts sounding the alarm.
Why Didn’t the Snow Help?
While snowfall temporarily boosted glacier mass, Saharan dust darkened ice surfaces, absorbing more heat and accelerating melt. GLAMOS head Matthias Huss called the situation “exceptional,” adding that glaciers are “on track to disappear” without urgent climate action.
From Bad to Worse
Though 2024’s ice loss was lower than 2022 and 2023’s shocking 10% drops, it still outpaced the 2010-2020 average of 1.9% per year. Huss warned: “They’ll only survive 100 years if we stabilize the climate.” Yikes – time to rethink those CO2 emissions?
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