Unyielding winter conditions failed to halt glacier deteriorations.
Last winter's heavy snowfall failed to boost Switzerland's glaciers significantly. The Swedish administration offers insights into why this is happening. According to the Swiss Commission for Cryospheric Monitoring of the Swiss Academy of Sciences, the glacier volume decreased by 2.5% this year due to exceptionally warm July and August months and the deposition of Saharan dust on the mountains.
The winter of 2023/24 brought hope with its abundant snowfall, which exceeded the average by 30% above 2,200 meters. The Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos) reported that the snow heights between November and May hit record levels, with some records dating back 90 years.
However, the summer months of July and August were scorching hot. "August experienced the highest melt since records began," the report stated. Even the high altitude Jungfraujoch endured temperatures hotter than the 2003 and 2022 heatwaves. With a total shrinkage of 10% in 2022 and 2023, this marked the steepest two-year decrease ever recorded for glacier volume.
The negative impact of Saharan dust was also significant this year. It turned the snow yellowish-brown, absorbing more sunlight, and causing it to melt faster. Freer snowfall was also absent between mid-June and mid-September above 3,000 meters, which was unusual compared to the long-term average but has been occurring more frequently lately.
Despite the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network's positive reports from the winter of 2023/24, the Swiss glaciers still faced challenges during the summer. The unusually high temperatures in July and August led to a significant melting, with August experiencing the highest melt on record. Consequently, the Swiss, known for their famous Alpine glaciers, witnessed a total shrinkage of 10% in 2022 and 2023, a record-breaking two-year decrease.
