Word leaked out last week that United Continental Holdings would cut its flight nexus in Cleveland, "de-hubbing" the Ohio city that for decades played host to both pre-merger United Airlines and pre-merger Continental Airlines.

But chances are you missed the newsbecause you were otherwise engaged, desperately trying to rebuild your travel schedule as delays and cancellations mounted during this seemingly endless winter.

United's decision to reduce flights in Cleveland by 60 percent during the next few months is no surprise—chief executive Jeff Smisek claimed the operation "hasn't been profitable for over a decade"—but you may be shocked to realize there's a connection between bad weather and airline hubs.

Simply put: the more hubs that airlines close, the harder is it for us to get around when the weather stinks.

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