Matterhorn Bare of Snow Amid Unseasonably Warm European Autumn

Shocking images have revealed the Matterhorn to be snow-free amid Europe's unseasonably warm early autumn, a stark visual representation of the continent's ongoing heatwave. The iconic Alpine peak, famously featured on Toblerone packaging, is strikingly bare of ice and snow, despite the calendar indicating the start of the typical snow season.

In a normal year, mid-September would typically bring early autumn snowstorms and freezing temperatures, blanketing the summit and lower rocks in ice. However, this year, social media users shared photographs captured by webcams at the Cervino Ski Paradise resort, noting the unusual lack of snow. One user commented, "No, that is not a mountain in some desert. That is the Matterhorn on September 27, 2026," while others contrasted the current state with images from exactly one year prior, showing the mountain's flanks covered in deep snow.

Europe is currently under a high-pressure heat dome, trapping dry, stable air across the continent. Temperatures in parts of central and southern Europe have exceeded 40°C (104°F) this month, remaining well above seasonal averages. While the Matterhorn often has less snow cover in the summer, its summit being completely snow-free this late into autumn is considered highly unusual.

This phenomenon echoes observations from previous years. In 2022, during an exceptionally hot summer heatwave, local climbers reported the mountain's 14,692-foot (4,478m) summit was bare. Anjan Truffer, a mountain guide and head of the Zermatt mountain rescue service, told Der Spiegel that such conditions had occurred only four or five times in his 30 years working on the mountain. However, the frequency of years with exceptionally low ice and snow levels is increasing as the planet warms due to human-caused climate change.

In June of the previous year, Switzerland recorded its highest freezing level on record for that time of year, reaching 16,732 feet (5,000m) around the Matterhorn. This altitude rise contributed to the summit becoming nearly snow-free, with climbers reportedly able to ascend to 13,780 feet (4,200m) without crampons.

The trend of snow-free mountains is not confined to the Alps. In 2024, Japan's Mount Fuji remained completely snowless at its summit until November 6, the latest date on record since observations began 130 years ago. This surpassed previous records of October 26 in 1995 and 2016. Typically, snow forms on Mount Fuji by early October.

Beyond the visual impact, these hot conditions are creating dangerous hazards for climbers. Exceptionally hot weather earlier this year caused some of Europe's tallest mountains to crumble, leading to deadly rockfalls. Popular climbing routes on Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn have been particularly affected. By late August, three climbers had died on Mont Blanc, prompting local authorities to close lodges on the most common ascent route. Mountain guides also suspended tours of the Matterhorn due to massive landslides.

Analysis indicates that rockfalls in the Mont Blanc massif alone are expected to reach 450 this year, significantly exceeding the previous record of 300 set in 2022. Dr. Ludovic Ravanel of the French National Centre for Scientific Research noted the stark increase, stating that rockfalls were in the dozens just 10 to 20 years ago and that a large majority can be attributed to the climate crisis. Switzerland's Basel-Binningen region recorded its hottest temperature in the northern Alps at 39.7°C (103.5°F) during the summer heatwave, while temperatures in Chamonix regularly climbed above 30°C (86°F).

The melting of permafrost—ice frozen for thousands of years in rock cracks—combined with retreating glaciers that lose stabilizing pressure, destabilizes frozen rock faces, increasing the risk of rockfalls and landslides in mountainous regions.