Switzerland’s glaciers have exhausted the snow and ice accumulated over the past winter more than a month earlier than usual, according to the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland network (GLAMOS). The tipping point, known as “Glacier Loss Day” (GLD), was reached on 4 July, the second-earliest date since records began; only 26 June 2022 was earlier. Glaciologist Matthias Huss said weak snowfall and Switzerland’s second-warmest June on record hastened the melt, leaving roughly 1,400 Alpine glaciers exposed to summer heat for an extended period. A normal GLD falls in August, and healthy glaciers do not reach the benchmark at all. The early loss means any additional melting between now and October will erode glacier mass, adding to a long-term decline that has already cut Swiss glacier volume by 38 % since 2000—from 74.9 km³ to 46.5 km³. Huss warned that this year’s losses could rival the record set in 2022 unless cooler, wetter weather intervenes.